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 · rock · date · net · branch · temple · cap · arm

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — a stone
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. face — part of the head
  5. rock — music
  6. cap — a lid
  7. net — in sport
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — the fruit
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. cap — of ice
  15. face — to confront
  16. net — after costs
  17. face — to point toward
  18. net — for catching
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. cap — a hat

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