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: pound · land · face · roll · rush · key · arm · row

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. face — to point toward
  3. roll — a list
  4. land — a country
  5. row — to paddle
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. face — part of the head
  8. roll — a cake
  9. land — ground
  10. row — a line
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. pound — a weight
  14. land — to come down
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. key — for a lock
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. key — the most important part
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. rush — hurry
  24. key — in music

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