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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. face — to point toward
  5. season — of the year
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bat — the animal
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. chip — for betting
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. face — to confront
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. face — part of the head
  20. cap — a hat
  21. season — in sport
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a lid

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