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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. perch — the fish
  5. land — to come down
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. band — a ring
  8. bass — the fish
  9. face — part of the head
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. land — a country
  12. band — a music group
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. land — ground
  16. lean — thin
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — an agreement

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