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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to confront
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. root — of a word
  9. ground — the earth
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pass — a permit
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — a partner
  14. rock — music
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a plant
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. mine — for digging
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rock — a stone
  21. ground — crushed
  22. mate — to breed
  23. ground — a position
  24. face — to point toward

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