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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to confront
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. date — the fruit
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. snap — to click
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — the cause
  24. safe — out of danger

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