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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. face — part of the head
  3. cold — an illness
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. mate — a friend
  6. cold — not warm
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. vault — a safe
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. face — to confront
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. mate — a partner
  20. wax — to grow
  21. craft — a skill
  22. mate — to breed
  23. foot — a measure
  24. face — to point toward

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