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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: face · lean · mine · net · fan · jam

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. face — to point toward
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. net — in sport
  6. face — to confront
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. mine — for digging
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. net — after costs
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lean — thin
  14. face — part of the head
  15. net — for catching
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — to bend
  18. fan — to cool the air

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