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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. cap — of ice
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. face — to point toward
  5. cap — a lid
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. field — for sport
  9. face — to confront
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a partner
  13. plane — a tool
  14. sharp — clever
  15. field — farmland
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. face — part of the head
  19. field — a subject
  20. cap — a hat
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. kick — in football
  24. sharp — exactly

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