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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. deal — to handle
  3. face — part of the head
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. snap — to click
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. charge — a price
  10. face — to confront
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. charge — in control
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. squash — the sport
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. squash — to crush
  23. charge — electricity
  24. face — to point toward

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