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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. staff — a stick
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. firm — decided
  5. perch — the fish
  6. season — in sport
  7. mark — a trace
  8. net — for catching
  9. face — to point toward
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. staff — employees
  15. face — part of the head
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. net — after costs
  18. firm — a company
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. season — of the year
  21. net — in sport
  22. firm — steady
  23. mark — a grade
  24. staff — employees

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