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 120 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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. chest — a box
  5. rash — hasty
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. plane — a tool
  10. lie — to recline
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. chest — of your body
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. perch — the fish
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. rash — a series
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. face — to point toward
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. chest — of your body
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. face — part of the head
  24. branch — a division

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