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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to confront
  5. row — a line
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — a series
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bound — tied together
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. can — a tin
  13. chest — of your body
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bound — obliged
  16. rash — hasty
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bound — certain
  19. face — to point toward
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. can — a tin
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. can — to be able to
  24. chest — a box

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