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 had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. face — to point toward
  5. wax — to grow
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. face — to confront
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. last — finally
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. pitch — completely
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. kid — to tease
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. kid — child
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. last — to go on
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. last — final
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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