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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. can — to be able to
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — from crying
  7. saw — the tool
  8. roll — a cake
  9. hand — in cards
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. roll — a list
  14. hand — help
  15. board — a committee
  16. saw — the tool
  17. face — to confront
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — rain
  20. board — to get on
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. tear — to rip
  24. face — to point toward

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