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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. face — to point toward
  3. board — a committee
  4. cap — a lid
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — letters
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. face — to confront
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. board — to get on
  13. kid — to tease
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. chair — a leader
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a hat
  18. kid — child
  19. face — part of the head
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. spell — a short time
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. chair — a professorship

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