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 · mug · dip · wave · kid · can · tear · arm

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. face — to confront
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. tear — to rip
  5. mug — to rob
  6. face — to point toward
  7. kid — to tease
  8. can — to be able to
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. can — a tin
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. kid — child
  17. mug — a cup
  18. face — part of the head
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mug — a face
  22. tear — from crying
  23. can — a tin
  24. dip — to dunk

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