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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. face — part of the head
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. march — the month
  5. pop — soda
  6. march — music
  7. pop — to visit
  8. row — a line
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. row — to paddle
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — to point toward
  22. pop — music
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. fan — to cool the air

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