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 · season · date · stick · stock · wake · pitcher · face

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. season — of the year
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. stock — shares
  5. wake — a trail
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. date — the fruit
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. face — part of the head
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. stock — goods
  15. fine — all right
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — in sport
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. face — to point toward
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fine — high quality
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. wake — before a funeral

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