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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. fall — the season
  3. drill — the tool
  4. season — of the year
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. face — to confront
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. march — the month
  12. season — in sport
  13. fine — high quality
  14. drill — a practice
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fine — all right
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. face — to point toward
  20. march — music
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. march — the month
  23. drill — army training
  24. fall — to drop

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