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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. pitch — completely
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mug — a cup
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. face — to confront
  8. toast — bread
  9. face — to point toward
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. mate — to breed
  12. cold — not warm
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. rest — a break
  16. mug — a face
  17. face — part of the head
  18. cold — an illness
  19. lean — to bend
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mate — a partner
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. mug — to rob
  24. lean — thin

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