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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. date — the fruit
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rest — a break
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. rest — what's left
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. face — to point toward
  12. stand — to bear
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — for digging
  15. rule — government
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. tube — a container
  18. face — part of the head
  19. rule — a law
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. tube — the underground
  23. rest — what's left
  24. stand — on your feet

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