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 · fine · snap · mark · tube · coach · patient · present

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. tube — the underground
  3. face — to confront
  4. fine — high quality
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to click
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. present — the time now
  12. mark — a trace
  13. face — part of the head
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mark — a grade
  20. present — there
  21. face — to point toward
  22. tube — a container
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. present — a gift

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