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 120 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. face — to point toward
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. chip — to eat
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — in sport
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. plane — a tool
  13. face — to confront
  14. rash — a series
  15. face — part of the head
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. season — of the year
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. pitch — completely
  24. chip — in a computer

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