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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bass — low music
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. face — part of the head
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bass — the fish
  15. face — to confront
  16. shower — to wash
  17. foot — a measure
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. face — to point toward
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. shower — rain
  24. ball — a round shape

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