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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to point toward
  3. ball — a dance
  4. pop — to visit
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — a video
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. chip — to eat
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. face — to confront
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. land — ground
  14. ball — a great time
  15. land — to come down
  16. clip — to cut
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. land — a country
  19. pop — music
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. pop — soda
  24. chip — for betting

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