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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. face — part of the head
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. race — the arms race
  6. board — to get on
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. game — wild animals
  9. face — to point toward
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. plane — a tool
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — humankind
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. season — of the year
  24. game — a match

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