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 120 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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. ground — the earth
  3. rule — a law
  4. last — to go on
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. face — to point toward
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. pop — to visit
  9. ground — crushed
  10. last — final
  11. face — part of the head
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. rule — government
  15. last — finally
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pop — soda
  18. foot — a measure
  19. march — the month
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. ground — a position
  23. lie — to recline
  24. pop — music

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