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: row · tear · face · pit · pass · net · shower · pitcher

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. tear — from crying
  4. net — after costs
  5. shower — to wash
  6. face — part of the head
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. row — to paddle
  9. shower — rain
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. tear — to rip
  13. net — for catching
  14. face — to confront
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. tear — from crying
  19. pit — in a race
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. net — in sport
  23. row — a line
  24. pit — a hole

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