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: snap · face · sharp · wound · deal · date · safe · rest

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. face — to point toward
  4. rest — a break
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. date — the fruit
  11. face — part of the head
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. wound — an injury
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wound — an injury
  21. snap — to click
  22. rest — what's left
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. face — to confront

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