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: ball · racket · wake · lean · face · mate · hand · chest

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. hand — help
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — a trail
  5. chest — of your body
  6. face — to confront
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. ball — a great time
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. hand — in cards
  11. chest — a box
  12. mate — a friend
  13. face — to point toward
  14. mate — to breed
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. chest — of your body
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to bend
  22. face — part of the head
  23. mate — a partner
  24. hand — part of the body

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