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 116 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — thin
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. content — the amount
  6. face — part of the head
  7. suit — to fit
  8. pit — in a race
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — a hole
  12. wind — moving air
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. stock — goods
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — in cards
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. content — happy
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. wind — moving air
  21. rule — a law
  22. face — to confront
  23. rule — government
  24. stock — shares

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