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 · chest · foot · squash · wake · wave · jam · kid

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. foot — a measure
  3. face — to point toward
  4. squash — the sport
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. face — to confront
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. chest — of your body
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. face — part of the head
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. kid — to tease
  21. chest — of your body
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. chest — a box
  24. kid — child

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