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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  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. plane — a tool
  2. face — to confront
  3. scale — in music
  4. cold — an illness
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — part of the head
  8. charge — a price
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cold — not warm
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. charge — electricity
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. chip — to eat
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. scale — size or range
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. chip — for betting
  22. charge — in control
  23. scale — for weighing
  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