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 116 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: court · field · bulb · plane · mate · face

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. 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 — to point toward
  2. mate — a partner
  3. field — a subject
  4. mate — to breed
  5. court — of law
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bulb — for light
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. court — for sport
  11. face — part of the head
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. field — farmland
  14. court — of a king
  15. field — for sport
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. 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