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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. scale — size or range
  4. rule — government
  5. face — to confront
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. rule — a law
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. spring — a coil
  11. firm — a company
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bat — the animal
  14. scale — in music
  15. firm — decided
  16. spring — of water
  17. face — to point toward
  18. firm — steady
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. face — part of the head
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. spring — the season
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. rule — to rule out

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