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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. chip — to eat
  3. tube — a container
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — a signal
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. pitch — completely
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. chip — for betting
  16. ground — crushed
  17. face — part of the head
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. ground — the earth
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. cue — for pool
  22. tube — the underground
  23. ground — a position
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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