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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. face — to confront
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. face — part of the head
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. rush — hurry
  13. file — a tool
  14. face — to point toward
  15. file — a line of people
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — a series
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. vault — a safe
  22. file — a document
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. rash — hasty

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