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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. face — to point toward
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. march — the month
  5. fall — the season
  6. face — part of the head
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. cue — a signal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — for pool
  12. fall — to drop
  13. saw — the tool
  14. cap — a hat
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fall — to drop
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. march — music
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. march — the month
  21. face — to confront
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. cap — a lid

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