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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. suit — in cards
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bass — low music
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. kick — in football
  12. pitch — completely
  13. deal — to handle
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. wake — a trail
  16. face — part of the head
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bass — the fish

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