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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to confront
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. march — the month
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. spring — of water
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. spring — the season
  13. saw — the tool
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. march — the month
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. content — happy
  18. perch — the fish
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. march — music
  22. content — the amount
  23. face — to point toward
  24. spring — a coil

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