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 120 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. foot — a measure
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. march — the month
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. face — part of the head
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to click
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. march — music
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. kid — child
  19. face — to point toward
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. face — to confront
  23. march — the month
  24. mouse — for a computer

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