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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. rest — what's left
  3. face — to point toward
  4. chest — of your body
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. face — to confront
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. board — to get on
  10. present — the time now
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. board — a committee
  13. present — a gift
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. degree — from a university
  16. rest — a break
  17. degree — an amount
  18. rest — what's left
  19. chest — of your body
  20. face — part of the head
  21. degree — temperature
  22. chest — a box
  23. present — there
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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