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: face · lie · swing · row · drill · deal · season · fork

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. swing — music
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — a practice
  6. face — part of the head
  7. deal — to handle
  8. swing — to play on
  9. row — to paddle
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. face — to confront
  12. drill — the tool
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. row — a line
  17. fork — in a road
  18. lie — to recline
  19. swing — in golf
  20. season — in sport
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. face — to point toward
  24. row — a quarrel

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