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 116 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. face — to confront
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. field — a subject
  6. face — to point toward
  7. spell — a short time
  8. row — to paddle
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. row — a line
  12. field — farmland
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. field — for sport
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — magic
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bank — for money
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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