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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — to sink
  4. stem — to come from
  5. face — to point toward
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. clip — a video
  9. clip — to cut
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. face — part of the head
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. clip — for paper
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fork — in a road
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. dip — a sauce

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