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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bound — certain
  4. cap — a lid
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bound — obliged
  11. current — happening now
  12. face — to confront
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. scale — in music
  15. cap — a hat
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bound — tied together
  18. cap — of ice
  19. scale — size or range
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kick — in football
  23. current — of water
  24. current — electric

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