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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. face — to confront
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. track — to keep track
  5. face — to point toward
  6. prune — to trim
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. suit — clothes
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. track — a path
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. prune — to trim
  17. suit — to fit
  18. board — a committee
  19. track — a song
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. face — part of the head
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. board — to get on
  24. suit — in cards

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