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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. face — part of the head
  3. current — electric
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. face — to confront
  6. mate — a friend
  7. lean — thin
  8. cold — an illness
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. mate — a partner
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mate — to breed
  14. court — for sport
  15. current — of water
  16. cold — not warm
  17. current — happening now
  18. court — of a king
  19. face — to point toward
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. court — of law
  22. lean — to bend
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. prune — to trim

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