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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. face — to point toward
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. face — part of the head
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — the time now
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. sharp — clever
  11. face — to confront
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bark — to shout
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. wake — a trail
  19. present — there
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. pitch — completely
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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