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: content · tube · key · rash · land · spring · face · hide

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. tube — a container
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. spring — of water
  6. content — the amount
  7. spring — a coil
  8. key — for a lock
  9. land — a country
  10. content — happy
  11. rash — a series
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. key — the most important part
  15. spring — the season
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rash — hasty
  19. tube — the underground
  20. key — in music
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. land — ground
  24. land — to come down

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