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 120 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: face · hide · wind · rash · sharp · arm · staff · mate

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. staff — a stick
  3. wind — moving air
  4. staff — employees
  5. sharp — clever
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. staff — employees
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. face — to confront
  16. wind — moving air
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. mate — a friend
  19. rash — a series
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. face — to point toward
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. face — part of the head

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