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: leaves · mug · track · press · face · degree · fine · foot

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. face — to confront
  3. fine — all right
  4. press — to push
  5. fine — high quality
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. face — to point toward
  8. track — to keep track
  9. degree — from a university
  10. press — a publisher
  11. mug — to rob
  12. degree — an amount
  13. track — a song
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. foot — a measure
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. degree — temperature
  19. mug — a face
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. press — newspapers
  23. mug — a cup
  24. face — part of the head

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