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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. pop — to visit
  3. net — after costs
  4. rule — a law
  5. face — to point toward
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. shower — rain
  8. net — in sport
  9. face — to confront
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. pop — soda
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. face — part of the head
  18. pop — music
  19. bass — low music
  20. rule — government
  21. lean — to bend
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bass — the fish
  24. lean — thin

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