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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. land — a country
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — to confront
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — obliged
  9. drill — a practice
  10. chip — to eat
  11. present — a gift
  12. land — to come down
  13. present — there
  14. land — ground
  15. present — the time now
  16. drill — army training
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bound — tied together

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