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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. face — to confront
  3. wound — an injury
  4. can — a tin
  5. face — part of the head
  6. deal — to handle
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. spring — a coil
  9. wound — an injury
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. roll — a list
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. can — to be able to
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. roll — a cake
  17. spring — of water
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. kid — child
  21. can — a tin
  22. kid — to tease
  23. face — to point toward
  24. spring — the season

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