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 116 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. present — there
  3. last — finally
  4. root — of a word
  5. face — part of the head
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. present — the time now
  8. face — to point toward
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. root — the cause
  14. last — to go on
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. last — final
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. root — of a plant
  21. present — a gift
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. pitch — completely
  24. lean — thin

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