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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. face — to confront
  3. spell — a short time
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. face — part of the head
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. cap — a hat
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. can — a tin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. face — to point toward
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. rash — a series
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — magic
  18. can — a tin
  19. branch — a division
  20. can — to be able to
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. cap — of ice
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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