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

Word bank: face · rest · court · stick · charge · pound · dip · fan

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to point toward
  7. court — for sport
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rest — a break
  10. court — of law
  11. rest — what's left
  12. dip — to sink
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. pound — a weight
  15. face — to confront
  16. court — of a king
  17. charge — in control
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — electricity

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