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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. face — part of the head
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. band — a ring
  7. roll — a cake
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rash — hasty
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. rash — a series
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. roll — a list
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. dip — to sink
  23. face — to point toward
  24. pitch — completely

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