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 120 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: cabinet · spring · temple · pound · stick · press · face · cell

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  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 confront
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. press — to push
  6. face — part of the head
  7. spring — a coil
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. pound — a weight
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. press — newspapers
  12. spring — the season
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. cell — a phone
  16. spring — of water
  17. cell — in biology
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. face — to point toward
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. press — a publisher
  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