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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. face — to confront
  4. mate — a partner
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. key — in music
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. face — to point toward
  10. snap — to click
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. kick — in football
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — the most important part
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. face — part of the head
  18. mate — a friend
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. lean — to bend
  21. mate — to breed
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. lean — thin
  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