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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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 point toward
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. stock — shares
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. can — to be able to
  9. present — a gift
  10. bass — low music
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. can — a tin
  17. present — there
  18. present — the time now
  19. stock — goods
  20. face — to confront
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bore — to tire
  24. can — a tin

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