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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. face — to confront
  3. file — a tool
  4. spell — letters
  5. face — part of the head
  6. file — a line of people
  7. face — to point toward
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — obliged
  11. file — a document
  12. cue — for pool
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — shares
  15. bound — certain
  16. spell — magic
  17. stock — goods
  18. cue — a signal

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