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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. key — for a lock
  4. face — to confront
  5. key — the most important part
  6. plane — a tool
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. spring — a coil
  10. chest — of your body
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. face — part of the head
  13. chest — a box
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. spring — of water
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. tube — the underground
  20. chest — of your body
  21. snap — to click
  22. key — in music
  23. tube — a container
  24. spring — the season

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