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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fine — all right
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. mate — a friend
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. mark — a trace
  11. face — part of the head
  12. fine — high quality
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mate — to breed
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mark — a grade
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. pound — a weight
  21. face — to point toward
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. pound — to hit hard

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