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: fork · kick · snap · face · lie · coach · patient · wax

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. kick — in football
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. face — to confront
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. lie — to recline
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. fork — in a road
  18. face — to point toward
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wax — to grow
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. face — part of the head
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. patient — a sick person

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