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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. board — to get on
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. face — to point toward
  5. last — to go on
  6. mate — a partner
  7. face — to confront
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. mate — to breed
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mate — a friend
  14. last — final
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. board — a committee
  17. face — part of the head
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. capital — money
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. last — finally
  23. capital — a city
  24. patient — a sick person

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