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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. roll — a list
  3. cue — a hint
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. lean — thin
  6. hand — in cards
  7. face — to point toward
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a cake
  10. lean — to bend
  11. face — part of the head
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cell — in biology
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. face — to confront
  20. wake — a trail
  21. cue — a signal
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. hand — help
  24. wake — before a funeral

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