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 120 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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. file — a document
  4. cap — of ice
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. face — to confront
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a tool
  10. ground — a position
  11. cap — a hat
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. track — to keep track
  14. ground — the earth
  15. track — a path
  16. track — a song
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. face — part of the head
  21. cap — a lid
  22. ground — crushed
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. face — to point toward

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