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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. mark — a trace
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. capital — a city
  6. mate — to breed
  7. scale — size or range
  8. mate — a partner
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. board — to get on
  11. capital — money
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. cap — a lid
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to bend
  17. scale — in music
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — to pay attention

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