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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. march — the month
  5. bank — for money
  6. wound — an injury
  7. march — music
  8. rush — hurry
  9. face — to point toward
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. cap — a lid
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. cap — of ice
  14. fine — high quality
  15. cap — a hat
  16. fine — all right
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bank — of a river
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bank — for money
  21. squash — the sport
  22. face — part of the head
  23. squash — to crush
  24. march — the month

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