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 120 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. face — to confront
  3. file — a document
  4. face — to point toward
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bank — for money
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bank — of a river
  11. content — happy
  12. stock — shares
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — to handle
  15. file — a tool
  16. content — the amount
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. file — a line of people
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — goods
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bank — for money

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