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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. snap — to click
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to confront
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. key — in music
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. key — the most important part
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. key — for a lock
  18. content — happy
  19. content — the amount
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. face — to point toward
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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