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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: saw · fall · snap · face · season · mate

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. mate — to breed
  3. season — in sport
  4. fall — to drop
  5. face — to confront
  6. snap — to click
  7. face — to point toward
  8. saw — the tool
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. mate — a friend
  11. fall — to drop
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. mate — a partner
  15. face — part of the head
  16. season — of the year
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fall — the season

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