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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. cell — a phone
  3. current — happening now
  4. capital — money
  5. face — to confront
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. pass — a permit
  8. mate — a friend
  9. current — electric
  10. mate — to breed
  11. kick — in football
  12. mate — a partner
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. mine — for digging
  15. cell — in biology
  16. capital — a city
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. current — of water
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. face — to point toward
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. pass — to succeed

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