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 had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. net — after costs
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. race — the arms race
  5. march — music
  6. season — of the year
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. file — a document
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. race — a contest
  11. march — the month
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. face — to point toward
  14. season — in sport
  15. march — the month
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. file — a line of people
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. file — a tool
  22. race — humankind
  23. face — to confront
  24. toast — bread

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