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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. face — part of the head
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. root — of a word
  5. fine — high quality
  6. march — the month
  7. chip — to eat
  8. march — the month
  9. face — to confront
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. root — the cause
  15. face — to point toward
  16. root — of a plant
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. fine — all right
  22. chip — for betting
  23. scale — size or range
  24. fan — a supporter

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