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 · present · cell · pop · toast · file · calf · saw

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. cell — in biology
  4. face — to point toward
  5. present — a gift
  6. toast — bread
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cell — a phone
  9. saw — the tool
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — part of the head
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. file — a document
  14. present — the time now
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — soda
  18. saw — the tool
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a line of people
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cell — in a prison

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