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: fan · face · deal · root · snap · present · pitcher · wound

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. present — the time now
  3. wound — an injury
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. root — of a plant
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wound — an injury
  9. face — to confront
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. face — part of the head
  12. root — of a word
  13. present — a gift
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. snap — to click
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. present — there
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — to handle
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. root — the cause
  23. face — to point toward
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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