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: season · kid · bass · mouse · temple · mine · face · content

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to point toward
  3. kid — to tease
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. season — in sport
  8. face — to confront
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. content — happy
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. content — the amount
  15. mine — for digging
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bass — the fish
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. kid — child
  21. bass — low music
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. content — videos and posts

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