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 120 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. face — part of the head
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. land — ground
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rush — hurry
  9. race — humankind
  10. land — a country
  11. face — to point toward
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mark — a grade
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. race — the arms race
  19. mark — a trace
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. race — a contest
  22. foot — a measure
  23. wound — an injury
  24. land — to come down

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