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: racket · cold · mouse · face · bass · tear · chip · mug

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — part of the head
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. face — to confront
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bass — the fish
  7. cold — not warm
  8. mug — to rob
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bass — low music
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mug — a cup
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. tear — to rip
  20. cold — an illness
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. mug — a face
  24. tear — from crying

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