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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. object — to protest
  4. scale — size or range
  5. branch — a division
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. chip — for betting
  8. perch — the fish
  9. wax — to grow
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. scale — in music
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. face — part of the head
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. object — a thing
  19. face — to point toward
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. chip — to eat
  22. object — an aim
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. perch — for a bird

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