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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. face — to point toward
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. face — part of the head
  5. ball — a great time
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bat — the animal
  9. face — to confront
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. rule — government
  13. sharp — clever
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. key — in music
  17. wake — a trail
  18. ball — a dance
  19. key — the most important part
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. rule — a law
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. key — for a lock
  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