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 laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. suit — clothes
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. land — a country
  6. land — to come down
  7. last — final
  8. suit — to fit
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. march — the month
  11. face — part of the head
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. land — ground
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. last — finally
  17. march — the month
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. suit — in cards
  20. march — music
  21. perch — the fish
  22. face — to point toward
  23. last — to go on
  24. face — to confront

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