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: file · face · arm · temple · mine · fan · bank · spring

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bank — for money
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. file — a line of people
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. spring — the season
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. file — a tool
  14. mine — for digging
  15. spring — of water
  16. bank — of a river
  17. face — to confront
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. file — a document
  22. face — to point toward
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bank — for money

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