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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. drill — a practice
  4. face — to point toward
  5. drill — the tool
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. face — part of the head
  11. row — to paddle
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. row — a line
  15. pound — a weight
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. perch — the fish
  19. drill — army training
  20. season — of the year
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. season — in sport
  24. perch — for a bird

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