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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. charge — electricity
  3. pop — music
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. field — farmland
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. field — for sport
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. face — to confront
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. pop — soda
  17. field — a subject
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. charge — a price
  20. face — part of the head
  21. charge — in control
  22. pop — to visit
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — with an edge

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