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: race · face · pit · wave · nail · charge · chest · march

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. chest — a box
  3. chest — of your body
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. race — the arms race
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. race — a contest
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. charge — electricity
  11. race — humankind
  12. face — part of the head
  13. march — the month
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. charge — in control
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. face — to point toward
  19. charge — a price
  20. pit — in a race
  21. chest — of your body
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pit — a hole
  24. nail — for a hammer

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