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 · squash · lean · toast · wind · band · wave · track

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  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. lean — to bend
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. track — a song
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. band — a ring
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. lean — thin
  9. track — a path
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. track — to keep track
  14. face — to point toward
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. toast — bread
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. wind — moving air
  19. face — part of the head
  20. squash — the sport
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. band — a music group
  23. squash — to crush
  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