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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. spring — the season
  4. face — to confront
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rest — what's left
  7. spring — a coil
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. swing — music
  10. spring — of water
  11. face — to point toward
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. swing — in golf
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. swing — to play on
  19. face — part of the head
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — the fruit
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. lash — an eyelash

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