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: squash · tube · dip · lie · file · face · object · wound

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. tube — a container
  3. wound — an injury
  4. squash — the sport
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. face — part of the head
  9. object — a thing
  10. wound — an injury
  11. lie — to recline
  12. file — a line of people
  13. tube — the underground
  14. dip — to sink
  15. face — to confront
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. file — a document
  20. squash — to crush
  21. file — a tool
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — to protest
  24. tube — in a tire

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