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 120 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. wound — an injury
  3. face — to point toward
  4. wound — an injury
  5. current — of water
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — a trail
  9. sharp — clever
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. face — to confront
  13. current — electric
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. shower — to wash
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. face — part of the head
  21. kick — in football
  22. shower — rain
  23. dip — to sink
  24. sharp — with an edge

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