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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to confront
  3. wind — moving air
  4. row — a line
  5. fine — all right
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. face — to point toward
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. pit — a hole
  12. row — to paddle
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fine — high quality
  15. current — electric
  16. wind — moving air
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pit — in a race
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. current — of water
  24. current — happening now

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