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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. tear — to rip
  3. face — to confront
  4. season — in sport
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. stand — to bear
  7. last — final
  8. mug — a cup
  9. snap — to click
  10. face — to point toward
  11. mug — to rob
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. tear — from crying
  14. last — finally
  15. mug — a face
  16. face — part of the head
  17. tear — from crying
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. season — of the year
  22. last — to go on
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. season — to add flavour

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