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: bore · face · wave · arm · suit · stock · kid · lean

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. face — part of the head
  3. suit — to fit
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. lean — to bend
  10. stock — goods
  11. face — to confront
  12. suit — in cards
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bore — to drill
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bore — to tire
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. lean — thin
  22. face — to point toward
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. arm — a part of something

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