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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. fine — high quality
  4. sharp — clever
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — to confront
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. cap — a lid
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. press — to push
  11. cap — a hat
  12. foot — a measure
  13. pop — music
  14. press — a publisher
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. pop — soda
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. pop — to visit
  20. face — part of the head
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. cap — of ice
  24. press — newspapers

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