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

Word bank: coach · staff · lie · face · fine · wave · trunk · snap

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. staff — a stick
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. lie — to recline
  7. staff — employees
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to point toward
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to click
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. staff — employees
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. fine — all right

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