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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to confront
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. shower — rain
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bound — certain
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. tear — from crying
  16. ball — a dance
  17. shower — to wash
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bound — tied together
  20. snap — to click
  21. tear — from crying
  22. ball — a great time
  23. tear — to rip
  24. ball — a round shape

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