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: stick · face · charge · current · key · toast · lie · craft

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — in control
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. face — to point toward
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — for a lock
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. current — electric
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. charge — a price
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. craft — boats
  16. toast — bread
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. current — of water
  19. current — happening now
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. lie — to recline
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. key — in music
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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