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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. deal — to handle
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rush — hurry
  8. capital — money
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. present — a gift
  14. bat — the animal
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. present — there
  18. capital — a city
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. face — to point toward
  21. stock — goods
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. stock — shares
  24. present — the time now

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