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: game · fall · march · face · lie · bass · pass · craft

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. pass — a permit
  3. fall — to drop
  4. craft — a skill
  5. game — a match
  6. march — music
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. craft — boats
  11. march — the month
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. face — part of the head
  14. lie — to recline
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. march — the month
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — to point toward
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — low music
  23. fall — the season
  24. pass — to succeed

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