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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. face — to confront
  3. wound — an injury
  4. chair — a leader
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bat — the animal
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. face — part of the head
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. pop — music
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. face — to point toward
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — soda
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. lean — thin
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. lean — to bend
  24. jam — a tight spot

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