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: shower · wave · last · prune · object · face · lean · wind

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  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. face — part of the head
  2. lean — to bend
  3. shower — to wash
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. shower — rain
  6. lean — thin
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — an aim
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. last — finally
  15. face — to point toward
  16. prune — to trim
  17. wind — moving air
  18. last — to go on
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. prune — to trim
  23. last — final
  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