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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. staff — a stick
  3. content — happy
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. net — for catching
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bear — the animal
  8. face — part of the head
  9. content — the amount
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wax — to grow
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. net — after costs
  16. staff — employees
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. net — in sport
  21. staff — employees
  22. face — to point toward
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bear — the animal

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