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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. rash — hasty
  3. face — part of the head
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. face — to point toward
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. club — for dancing
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. club — a group
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. club — for golf
  14. rash — a series
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. face — to confront
  24. pitcher — a jug

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