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: rash · lean · snap · bound · mate · can · rule · face

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. rash — a series
  3. lean — to bend
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rule — a law
  6. bound — certain
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. can — to be able to
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bound — obliged
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. rule — government
  13. bound — tied together
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rash — hasty
  16. can — a tin
  17. lean — thin
  18. can — a tin
  19. mate — a friend
  20. face — to point toward
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. snap — to click

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