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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. wake — a trail
  3. chest — a box
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. lean — to bend
  6. face — to confront
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bulb — for light
  9. chest — of your body
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bulb — for light
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — part of the head
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. hand — in cards
  19. lean — thin
  20. bear — the animal
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. tear — to rip
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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