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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. season — in sport
  6. chest — of your body
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. can — a tin
  9. season — of the year
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. face — to point toward
  15. vault — a safe
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bore — to drill
  18. chest — a box
  19. can — a tin
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bore — to tire
  22. chest — of your body
  23. rock — music
  24. face — part of the head

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