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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. lean — to bend
  5. band — a music group
  6. face — part of the head
  7. sharp — clever
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. pound — a weight
  10. lean — thin
  11. bat — the animal
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. band — a ring
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. face — to confront

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