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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. face — to point toward
  3. mate — to breed
  4. lie — to recline
  5. plane — a tool
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. club — for golf
  11. mate — a friend
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. current — electric
  15. current — of water
  16. face — part of the head
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. face — to confront
  21. club — a group
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. current — happening now
  24. mate — a partner

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