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 · nail · cell · cabinet · rock · march · current · wound

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. face — part of the head
  4. wound — an injury
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — to confront
  7. cell — a phone
  8. rock — a stone
  9. march — the month
  10. current — of water
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. march — music
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. current — happening now
  16. rock — music
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. march — the month
  19. wound — an injury
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. current — electric

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