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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. current — happening now
  3. net — after costs
  4. bass — low music
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bass — the fish
  7. date — the fruit
  8. mug — a face
  9. face — to confront
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — of water
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. net — in sport
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. current — electric
  16. face — to point toward
  17. current — of water
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a cup
  21. net — for catching
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. spring — a coil

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