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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bound — tied together
  3. face — to point toward
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — a match
  7. scale — size or range
  8. drill — a practice
  9. face — to confront
  10. drill — army training
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. game — wild animals
  13. squash — to crush
  14. squash — the sport
  15. cap — a hat
  16. face — part of the head
  17. cap — a lid
  18. scale — in music
  19. bound — certain
  20. drill — the tool
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bound — obliged
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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