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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cap — of ice
  3. face — to point toward
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. face — part of the head
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. cap — a hat
  9. court — for sport
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. court — of law
  12. cap — a lid
  13. court — of a king
  14. face — to confront
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. pass — a permit

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