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: plane · chest · bear · stick · straw · face · calf · snap

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. chest — a box
  4. face — to confront
  5. chest — of your body
  6. snap — to click
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. face — to point toward
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. plane — a tool
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bear — the animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bear — the animal
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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