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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. drill — army training
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. present — there
  5. drill — the tool
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. present — a gift
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. game — a match
  10. present — the time now
  11. face — part of the head
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pass — a permit
  19. court — of law
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. court — for sport
  22. branch — a division
  23. drill — a practice
  24. court — of a king

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