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: arm · game · snap · chest · craft · safe · face · drill

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  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. face — part of the head
  3. drill — a practice
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. craft — boats
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — a box
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. face — to point toward
  16. game — a match
  17. drill — army training
  18. game — wild animals
  19. chest — of your body
  20. craft — a skill
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. drill — the tool
  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