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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. wake — a trail
  4. spring — of water
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. pop — to visit
  7. object — to protest
  8. spring — a coil
  9. court — of a king
  10. lie — to recline
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. object — an aim
  13. spring — the season
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pop — soda
  16. face — part of the head
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. face — to point toward
  19. pop — music
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. court — of law
  22. pitch — completely
  23. object — a thing
  24. court — for sport

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