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: wound · cold · mine · face · suit · dip · bound · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. wound — an injury
  3. chest — a box
  4. bound — obliged
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. dip — to sink
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — in cards
  10. cold — an illness
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. chest — of your body
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bound — tied together
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. cold — not warm
  17. face — part of the head
  18. suit — clothes
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bound — certain
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. face — to confront

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