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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. swing — in golf
  3. degree — from a university
  4. roll — a list
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to confront
  9. degree — temperature
  10. object — a thing
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. object — to protest
  16. roll — a cake
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bore — to drill
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. face — to point toward
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. degree — an amount
  23. bore — to tire
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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