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

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. face — to confront
  4. mate — a friend
  5. ball — a great time
  6. drill — the tool
  7. ball — a dance
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. mate — to breed
  10. face — part of the head
  11. mate — a partner
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. drill — army training
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. drill — a practice
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. game — a match
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. game — wild animals
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. wind — moving air

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