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: bear · kid · present · wake · face · fan · mate · chest

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. kid — child
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. present — a gift
  5. kid — to tease
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — a friend
  9. present — the time now
  10. chest — of your body
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. face — to point toward
  13. present — there
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bear — the animal
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. face — to confront
  18. bear — the animal
  19. face — part of the head
  20. wake — a trail
  21. mate — to breed
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. chest — a box

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