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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. face — to point toward
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — to crush
  5. land — to come down
  6. scale — size or range
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. face — part of the head
  9. scale — in music
  10. squash — the sport
  11. lie — to recline
  12. shower — rain
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. land — ground
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. face — to confront
  17. shower — to wash
  18. dip — to sink
  19. land — a country
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. pass — a permit
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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