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 · game · date · drill · swing · scale · file · mark

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — in music
  6. date — the fruit
  7. face — to point toward
  8. drill — army training
  9. swing — in golf
  10. face — part of the head
  11. file — a line of people
  12. drill — a practice
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a grade
  16. swing — to play on
  17. drill — the tool
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a document
  20. game — a match
  21. mark — a trace
  22. game — wild animals
  23. swing — music
  24. face — to confront

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