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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. face — to point toward
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. band — a music group
  7. face — to confront
  8. rush — hurry
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. field — farmland
  12. chip — to eat
  13. field — for sport
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. band — a ring
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. field — a subject
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — for betting
  21. fine — high quality
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. face — part of the head

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