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 had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. cell — in biology
  3. key — for a lock
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. face — to point toward
  7. wax — to grow
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. key — the most important part
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. face — to confront
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bass — low music
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. lean — thin
  18. key — in music
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bass — the fish
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. cell — a phone
  24. wax — in the ear

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