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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. pitch — completely
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to point toward
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. saw — the tool
  10. foot — a measure
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. rule — government
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rule — a law
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. saw — the tool
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. rule — to rule out

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