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 116 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: suit · shower · wax · face · rest · deal · bark · kick

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. rest — what's left
  3. suit — to fit
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. wax — to grow
  6. face — to confront
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bark — to shout
  11. deal — to handle
  12. suit — clothes
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. rest — what's left
  15. shower — rain
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. face — part of the head
  20. rest — a break
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. shower — to wash
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — in football

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