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: dip · face · craft · fall · fan · stick

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fall — the season
  8. face — to confront
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a skill
  15. face — part of the head
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. dip — to sink
  18. fall — to drop

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