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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. face — to confront
  4. bound — tied together
  5. pit — a hole
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. press — a publisher
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. foot — a measure
  13. cold — an illness
  14. bound — certain
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bound — obliged
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. face — part of the head
  20. pit — in a race
  21. press — newspapers
  22. cold — not warm
  23. press — to push
  24. foot — part of the body

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