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 124 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. cap — of ice
  4. face — part of the head
  5. last — finally
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. last — to go on
  13. fork — in a road
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. mine — for digging
  16. current — of water
  17. cap — a hat
  18. wax — to grow
  19. last — final
  20. current — electric
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — to confront
  23. current — happening now
  24. cap — a lid

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