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 · current · kid · lean · wave · mate · cold · snap

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. current — of water
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. current — electric
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. mate — a friend
  7. kid — to tease
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. lean — to bend
  10. face — to confront
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. kid — child
  16. current — happening now
  17. lean — thin
  18. snap — to click
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a partner
  21. face — to point toward
  22. cold — an illness
  23. face — part of the head
  24. cold — not warm

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