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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. race — humankind
  3. saw — the tool
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — in cards
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. wound — an injury
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. tube — the underground
  13. race — a contest
  14. face — part of the head
  15. tube — a container
  16. face — to confront
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. charge — in control
  19. suit — clothes
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. wound — an injury
  23. perch — the fish
  24. race — the arms race

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