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: deal · cabinet · firm · can · face · pitcher · roll · field

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. can — a tin
  3. roll — a cake
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. face — to confront
  6. firm — decided
  7. face — part of the head
  8. firm — steady
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. field — farmland
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. face — to point toward
  15. field — for sport
  16. roll — a list
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. can — to be able to
  20. deal — to handle
  21. firm — a company
  22. field — a subject
  23. can — a tin
  24. pitcher — a jug

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