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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  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. face — to point toward
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. cue — for pool
  4. mug — a face
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. snap — to click
  7. kick — in football
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. chest — of your body
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. tube — a container
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. rule — government
  14. mug — to rob
  15. face — part of the head
  16. mug — a cup
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rule — a law
  19. chest — a box
  20. cue — a hint
  21. tube — the underground
  22. cue — a signal
  23. kick — with a leg
  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