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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. face — to point toward
  3. key — for a lock
  4. fork — in a road
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. face — to confront
  7. key — the most important part
  8. ground — a position
  9. date — the fruit
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. present — there
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. present — a gift
  14. rash — hasty
  15. face — part of the head
  16. key — in music
  17. present — the time now
  18. ground — crushed
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. ground — the earth
  21. rash — a series
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. fork — a garden tool

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