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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. snap — to click
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. present — there
  5. face — to confront
  6. key — for a lock
  7. tear — from crying
  8. present — a gift
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — certain
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. key — the most important part
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stand — to bear
  15. tear — from crying
  16. key — in music
  17. bound — obliged
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. rest — what's left
  20. tear — to rip
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — part of the head
  23. rest — a break
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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