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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. net — in sport
  4. swing — in golf
  5. pound — a weight
  6. face — to confront
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pit — in a race
  10. swing — music
  11. net — for catching
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. swing — to play on
  15. net — after costs
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. cold — an illness
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. face — part of the head
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cold — not warm

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