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: content · face · present · land · straw · prune · bowl · roll

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. roll — a list
  3. land — to come down
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. present — a gift
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. present — the time now
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. land — a country
  13. roll — a cake
  14. land — ground
  15. present — there
  16. face — to point toward
  17. content — happy
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. prune — to trim
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. face — to confront
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. content — the amount

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