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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. mine — for digging
  3. key — the most important part
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — a match
  6. object — an aim
  7. game — wild animals
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. ground — a position
  10. sharp — clever
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. key — in music
  13. face — to confront
  14. saw — the tool
  15. ground — crushed
  16. object — to protest
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. object — a thing
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. face — to point toward
  21. key — for a lock
  22. saw — the tool
  23. ground — the earth
  24. sharp — with an edge

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