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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. face — to point toward
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. pit — in a race
  8. mug — a cup
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. band — a ring
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. band — a music group
  13. mug — to rob
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. mug — a face
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. shower — to wash
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pit — a hole
  20. face — part of the head
  21. shower — rain
  22. stem — to come from
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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