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 · stick · plane · rock · leaves · spring · pit · roll

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. rock — music
  3. pit — a hole
  4. face — to confront
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. spring — the season
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to point toward
  9. roll — a cake
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. spring — a coil
  12. pit — in a race
  13. rock — a stone
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. spring — of water
  19. plane — a tool
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. roll — a list
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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