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: face · lean · kick · chip · saw · date · patient · bass

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. chip — to eat
  4. lean — thin
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — low music
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. date — the fruit
  11. lean — to bend
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. saw — the tool
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. saw — the tool
  18. face — part of the head
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. chip — for betting
  21. face — to confront
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. kick — in football
  24. face — to point toward

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