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: saw · temple · field · face · staff · bank · scale · chest

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. chest — of your body
  3. saw — the tool
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — for sport
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. face — part of the head
  8. field — farmland
  9. scale — in music
  10. scale — size or range
  11. saw — the tool
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. staff — a stick
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bank — for money
  16. face — to point toward
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. staff — employees
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bank — for money
  21. chest — a box
  22. bank — of a river
  23. staff — employees
  24. face — to confront

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