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: sharp · face · roll · fork · last · pop · bass · deal

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — finally
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — to confront
  7. roll — a list
  8. pop — music
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. last — final
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. roll — a cake
  15. deal — to handle
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. pop — soda
  19. face — part of the head
  20. pop — to visit
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. sharp — clever
  24. fork — in a road

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