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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. can — to be able to
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — high quality
  7. face — to confront
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a match
  10. can — a tin
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. land — a country
  13. can — a tin
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. land — to come down
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bound — tied together
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — certain
  24. rush — a thrill

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