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: face · rash · scale · sharp · safe · arm · net · stick

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. net — after costs
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. face — to confront
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rash — a series
  9. scale — in music
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. scale — size or range
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. net — for catching
  18. face — part of the head
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. net — in sport
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. sharp — clever
  24. face — to point toward

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