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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rush — hurry
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. tube — the underground
  12. face — to point toward
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. last — final
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — finally
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. face — to confront

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