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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. pit — in a race
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. perch — the fish
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. face — to confront
  7. board — a committee
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — a coil
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. capital — a city
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. capital — money
  16. charge — in control
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. face — part of the head
  19. board — to get on
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — a price
  22. pit — a hole
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. face — to point toward

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