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 · rash · cabinet · face · season · ground · wake · club

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I seem to be developing 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 point toward
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — a position
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for golf
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. club — for dancing
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. content — the amount
  12. rash — hasty
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. rash — a series
  15. season — in sport
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. content — happy
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. ground — the earth
  21. season — of the year
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rash — on the skin
  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