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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. land — a country
  4. face — to point toward
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. land — ground
  10. game — wild animals
  11. pound — a weight
  12. firm — steady
  13. face — part of the head
  14. firm — decided
  15. land — to come down
  16. game — a match
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. face — to confront
  23. firm — a company
  24. leaves — lets stay

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