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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. game — a match
  3. rash — a series
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. pound — a weight
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bore — to drill
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bore — to tire
  12. cell — in biology
  13. face — to confront
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. swing — music
  16. cell — a phone
  17. face — part of the head
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. swing — to play on
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. game — a kind of play

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