ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. spell — magic
  3. face — to confront
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — clever
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. suit — to fit
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. net — after costs
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. spell — a short time
  12. net — for catching
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. face — part of the head
  15. spell — letters
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. net — in sport
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. face — to point toward
  22. suit — in cards
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bowl — a dish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com