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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. current — happening now
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a ring
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — there
  8. present — the time now
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bulb — for light
  12. hand — in cards
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. current — electric
  15. hand — help
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bulb — for light
  18. face — part of the head
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. face — to point toward
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. current — of water

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