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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. object — an aim
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. hand — help
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — the season
  11. face — part of the head
  12. chip — for betting
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. chip — to eat
  18. object — to protest
  19. current — of water
  20. object — a thing
  21. face — to point toward
  22. current — electric
  23. current — happening now
  24. temple — a place of worship

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