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: face · lean · scale · field · snap · current · mouse · hide

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. scale — in music
  3. snap — to click
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. field — farmland
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. field — for sport
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. current — electric
  11. face — part of the head
  12. current — of water
  13. face — to point toward
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — thin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. scale — size or range
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. field — a subject
  22. current — happening now
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. scale — for weighing

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