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: net · firm · content · face · swing · game · jam · stock

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — part of the head
  5. net — for catching
  6. content — happy
  7. firm — decided
  8. content — the amount
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — to play on
  11. firm — a company
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — in sport
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. swing — in golf
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. stock — goods
  19. game — a match
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — shares
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. game — wild animals
  24. firm — steady

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