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 · fork · current · straw · bound · land · lean · ball

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bound — certain
  3. face — to confront
  4. current — electric
  5. current — happening now
  6. ball — a great time
  7. fork — in a road
  8. land — to come down
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bound — tied together
  11. land — ground
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. current — of water
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. lean — to bend
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bound — obliged
  18. land — a country
  19. lean — thin
  20. face — part of the head
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. ball — a dance
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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