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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. face — part of the head
  3. snap — to click
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. scale — size or range
  7. face — to point toward
  8. net — for catching
  9. face — to confront
  10. track — to keep track
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. court — of law
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. court — of a king
  16. cell — a phone
  17. track — a path
  18. saw — the tool
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — after costs
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. court — for sport
  23. track — a song
  24. scale — in music

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