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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bat — the animal
  3. face — part of the head
  4. staff — a stick
  5. scale — size or range
  6. kid — to tease
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. face — to point toward
  11. rush — hurry
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. staff — employees
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fork — in a road
  16. kid — child
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. scale — in music
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. staff — employees
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. rush — to 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