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 · date · fall · arm · pitch · scale · wave · track

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. fall — to drop
  3. face — part of the head
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. track — a path
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. track — to keep track
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. pitch — completely
  10. face — to confront
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. date — the fruit
  14. face — to point toward
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. fall — the season
  19. track — a song
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. fall — to drop
  22. scale — in music
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. scale — for weighing

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