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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. face — to confront
  4. sharp — clever
  5. capital — a city
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. pass — a permit
  8. face — to point toward
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. capital — money
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bound — obliged
  14. face — part of the head
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — in music
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bound — certain
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. bound — tied together
  24. key — for a lock

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