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: shower · sharp · deal · date · face · ball · press · stock

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  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. face — part of the head
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. sharp — clever
  4. ball — a dance
  5. deal — to handle
  6. press — to push
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. stock — shares
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — newspapers
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. stock — goods
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. shower — to wash
  15. face — to point toward
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. date — the fruit
  21. shower — rain
  22. ball — a great time
  23. date — on the calendar
  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