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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. pit — in a race
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. toast — bread
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. mug — a face
  10. suit — clothes
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bat — the animal
  15. suit — to fit
  16. face — part of the head
  17. mug — a cup
  18. face — to point toward
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. plane — a tool
  21. mug — to rob
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. plane — in geometry

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