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: lean · pound · branch · snap · current · last · face · stick

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  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 — to confront
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. pound — a weight
  4. last — final
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. snap — to click
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. current — electric
  9. last — to go on
  10. current — happening now
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. last — finally
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. face — to point toward
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. current — of water
  20. branch — a division
  21. lean — to bend
  22. face — part of the head
  23. lean — thin
  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