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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. land — ground
  3. land — a country
  4. bulb — for light
  5. branch — a division
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bulb — for light
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. cap — of ice
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. object — an aim
  12. pass — a permit
  13. face — to confront
  14. land — to come down
  15. face — part of the head
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. object — a thing
  20. face — to point toward
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bore — to drill
  23. object — to protest
  24. bulb — of a plant

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