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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. face — to confront
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. current — of water
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. shower — rain
  15. face — to point toward
  16. degree — an amount
  17. current — happening now
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. degree — from a university
  20. shower — to wash
  21. face — part of the head
  22. degree — temperature
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. current — electric

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