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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. band — a music group
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. squash — the sport
  6. stock — shares
  7. bank — for money
  8. band — a ring
  9. bank — of a river
  10. hand — help
  11. squash — to crush
  12. suit — to fit
  13. track — a path
  14. hand — in cards
  15. track — a song
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. track — to keep track
  18. suit — in cards
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. stock — goods
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. suit — clothes
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bank — for money

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