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 116 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. spell — a short time
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. last — finally
  6. spell — magic
  7. face — part of the head
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — a friend
  10. face — to confront
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. fall — the season
  14. dip — to sink
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. spell — letters
  17. plane — a tool
  18. last — final
  19. fall — to drop
  20. last — to go on
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. face — to point toward
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. fall — to drop

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