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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — to confront
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bore — to tire
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cue — a hint
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. face — part of the head
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — to play on
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bore — to drill
  18. swing — music
  19. pop — soda
  20. cue — a signal
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cell — in biology
  24. hide — to keep secret

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