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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. suit — in cards
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. face — to point toward
  5. suit — to fit
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. mine — for digging
  9. capital — money
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. face — part of the head
  12. pitch — completely
  13. suit — clothes
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. capital — a city
  16. wax — to grow
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. face — to confront
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. mine — an explosive

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