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: rock · deal · jam · toast · kick · face · date · sharp

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. face — to confront
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. toast — bread
  8. deal — to handle
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. face — part of the head
  12. rock — a stone
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. sharp — clever
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. face — to point toward
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. kick — in football
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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