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: fan · row · scale · bowl · root · face · club · rush

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. club — a group
  7. face — part of the head
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. root — of a word
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. root — the cause
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. row — a line
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. face — to point toward
  22. rush — hurry
  23. row — to paddle
  24. root — of a plant

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