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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. march — music
  10. ball — a great time
  11. march — the month
  12. face — part of the head
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. face — to point toward
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. march — the month
  17. date — the fruit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. saw — the tool
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. ball — a dance
  24. calf — of the leg

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