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: perch · fork · stock · current · cell · plane · face · cabinet

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. current — of water
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. perch — the fish
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. current — electric
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — shares
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. fork — in a road
  14. stock — goods
  15. current — happening now
  16. face — to point toward
  17. plane — a tool
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cell — in biology
  20. face — part of the head
  21. cell — a phone
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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