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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. face — to confront
  3. row — a line
  4. face — to point toward
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. face — part of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. ball — a great time
  10. mark — a grade
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. mark — a trace
  19. wound — an injury
  20. row — to paddle
  21. snap — to click
  22. scale — in music
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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