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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. saw — the tool
  3. face — to confront
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. degree — from a university
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. rock — a stone
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bulb — for light
  10. board — a committee
  11. degree — temperature
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bulb — for light
  16. board — to get on
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. degree — an amount
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. saw — the tool
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — part of the head
  24. rock — music

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