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

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. mine — for digging
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — to get on
  6. cap — of ice
  7. face — to point toward
  8. pass — a permit
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. capital — a city
  11. cap — a hat
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. board — a committee
  14. face — to confront
  15. capital — money
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. cap — a lid

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