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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. last — final
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. rule — government
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. face — to point toward
  11. sharp — clever
  12. stand — to bear
  13. vault — a safe
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. last — finally
  16. last — to go on
  17. face — to confront
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. stand — on your feet

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