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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. fine — all right
  4. face — part of the head
  5. key — in music
  6. face — to confront
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. plane — a tool
  12. roll — a list
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — after costs
  17. face — to point toward
  18. key — for a lock
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. key — the most important part
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. net — in sport
  24. roll — a cake

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