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 116 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. charge — a price
  5. face — to confront
  6. scale — in music
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. charge — electricity
  11. wake — a trail
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. charge — in control
  14. swing — in golf
  15. face — to point toward
  16. scale — size or range
  17. swing — to play on
  18. snap — to click
  19. face — part of the head
  20. swing — music
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — a tool
  24. scale — for weighing

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