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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — a hole
  4. suit — in cards
  5. chest — of your body
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. face — part of the head
  10. chest — of your body
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. suit — to fit
  15. pit — in a race
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. snap — to click
  18. face — to point toward
  19. suit — clothes
  20. board — a committee
  21. chest — a box
  22. board — to get on
  23. pound — a weight
  24. face — to confront

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