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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. land — a country
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. face — to confront
  6. rock — a stone
  7. cap — of ice
  8. land — ground
  9. court — for sport
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bulb — for light
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bulb — for light
  14. snap — to click
  15. rock — music
  16. land — to come down
  17. staff — employees
  18. face — part of the head
  19. court — of a king
  20. cap — a lid
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. staff — employees
  23. court — of law
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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