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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. squash — to crush
  3. game — a match
  4. mug — a face
  5. game — wild animals
  6. rest — what's left
  7. capital — a city
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. rest — what's left
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. face — to point toward
  14. squash — the sport
  15. capital — money
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a cup
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rest — a break
  20. wound — an injury
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. face — to confront
  24. squash — the vegetable

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