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: fine · bore · season · face · net · chest · mug · cabinet

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. chest — a box
  4. mug — a cup
  5. season — of the year
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. face — to point toward
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — in sport
  11. season — in sport
  12. fine — all right
  13. bore — to tire
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mug — to rob
  17. face — to confront
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. face — part of the head
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. mug — a face
  23. net — after costs
  24. bore — to drill

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