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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. roll — a list
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — to confront
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cap — a hat
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. game — a match
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — of ice
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. pound — a weight
  18. game — wild animals
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. roll — a cake
  22. wake — a trail
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. face — part of the head

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