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: ball · file · mate · face · rash · patient · deal · mark

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. face — to confront
  3. rash — hasty
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. mate — a partner
  6. deal — to handle
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. ball — a dance
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mark — a grade
  13. ball — a great time
  14. face — part of the head
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. file — a document
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. face — to point toward
  21. file — a line of people
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. file — a tool
  24. mark — to pay attention

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