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: face · snap · bear · bulb · rest · cold · rash · stick

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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. rash — hasty
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rest — a break
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rash — a series
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bulb — for light
  13. face — to confront
  14. cold — an illness
  15. rest — what's left
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bulb — for light
  18. snap — to click
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. cold — not warm
  23. face — to point toward
  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