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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to confront
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. drill — a practice
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. squash — the sport
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. lie — to recline
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. face — to point toward
  14. scale — size or range
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. squash — to crush
  19. scale — in music
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. sharp — clever
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. drill — the tool
  24. drill — army training

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