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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. key — for a lock
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. current — of water
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. last — final
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. rash — a series
  14. key — the most important part
  15. current — electric
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. current — happening now
  18. foot — a measure
  19. key — in music
  20. face — to confront
  21. last — finally
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. last — to go on
  24. face — to point toward

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