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 120 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. rule — government
  3. swing — music
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — a division
  6. cap — a hat
  7. face — to point toward
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. swing — to play on
  11. face — part of the head
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — of ice
  14. swing — in golf
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. face — to confront
  19. rule — a law
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. fall — to drop

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