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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. face — to point toward
  4. field — farmland
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. toast — bread
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. field — a subject
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. field — for sport
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. trunk — of a car

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