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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bound — tied together
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. swing — in golf
  6. face — part of the head
  7. swing — music
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. ground — crushed
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — for catching
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — certain
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. chest — of your body
  18. net — in sport
  19. face — to confront
  20. chest — a box
  21. ground — a position
  22. chest — of your body
  23. swing — to play on
  24. ground — the earth

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