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 116 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: bear · plane · stock · fall · face · club · game · rest

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. game — wild animals
  3. plane — a tool
  4. club — a group
  5. fall — the season
  6. club — for golf
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bear — the animal
  9. club — for dancing
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. face — part of the head
  17. rest — a break
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. stock — goods
  20. face — to point toward
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rest — what's left
  23. stock — shares
  24. game — a match

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