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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. squash — the sport
  3. face — to point toward
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. tube — a container
  6. roll — a list
  7. club — a group
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. face — part of the head
  11. club — for golf
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — a partner
  15. pit — in a race
  16. club — for dancing
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. squash — to crush
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a cake
  21. mate — to breed
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pit — a hole

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