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: key · last · kid · lean · jam · rush · net · face

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to confront
  3. lean — thin
  4. kid — child
  5. net — in sport
  6. kid — to tease
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — finally
  9. key — for a lock
  10. lean — to bend
  11. last — final
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. net — for catching
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. face — to point toward
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — hurry
  19. net — after costs
  20. key — in music
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. key — the most important part

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