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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. capital — a city
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. capital — money
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. lean — thin
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. spell — letters
  9. face — part of the head
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — a short time
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. lean — to bend
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. swing — in golf
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. swing — music
  21. swing — to play on
  22. face — to point toward
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. face — to confront

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