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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. face — to confront
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. rush — hurry
  6. cap — a lid
  7. face — to point toward
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. drill — army training
  10. plane — a tool
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. drill — the tool
  13. chip — to eat
  14. face — part of the head
  15. toast — bread
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. march — music
  20. chip — for betting
  21. drill — a practice
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. cap — of ice

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