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: can · rest · mug · fan · roll · hand · face · arm

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. can — to be able to
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — part of the head
  6. roll — a cake
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. can — a tin
  10. mug — to rob
  11. roll — a list
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. mug — a face
  14. hand — help
  15. mug — a cup
  16. rest — a break
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. hand — in cards
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. rest — what's left
  21. face — to confront
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rest — what's left
  24. arm — part of the body

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