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 116 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 is an ace ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. fork — in a road
  3. face — part of the head
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cap — a lid
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bound — certain
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cap — of ice
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — final
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bound — obliged
  18. game — a match
  19. last — finally
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bound — tied together
  22. face — to confront
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. game — wild animals

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