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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. pop — soda
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cap — a lid
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. field — a subject
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. face — to point toward
  11. field — for sport
  12. face — part of the head
  13. pop — to visit
  14. cap — of ice
  15. can — a tin
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. cap — a hat
  18. can — a tin
  19. pop — music
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. field — farmland
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. fork — in a road
  24. can — to be able to

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