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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. file — a tool
  3. face — to confront
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. ground — a position
  7. content — the amount
  8. face — part of the head
  9. file — a line of people
  10. track — a path
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — crushed
  14. face — to point toward
  15. file — a document
  16. root — of a plant
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. root — the cause
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. track — to keep track
  22. content — happy
  23. root — of a word
  24. track — a song

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