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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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. bore — gave birth
  4. face — to point toward
  5. object — an aim
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. clip — a video
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a tool
  11. object — to protest
  12. bore — to drill
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. object — a thing
  15. bore — to tire
  16. file — a line of people
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. branch — a division
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. clip — to cut
  22. deal — to handle
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. clip — for paper

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