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 120 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bass — low music
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. fall — the season
  9. spell — a short time
  10. bass — the fish
  11. spell — magic
  12. fall — to drop
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stock — shares
  16. spell — letters
  17. field — a subject
  18. stock — goods
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to point toward
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — farmland
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. rush — hurry

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