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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. charge — electricity
  3. last — final
  4. last — finally
  5. season — in sport
  6. face — part of the head
  7. field — farmland
  8. season — of the year
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. last — to go on
  11. charge — a price
  12. cap — a lid
  13. charge — in control
  14. cap — of ice
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. face — to confront
  19. field — a subject
  20. vault — a safe
  21. field — for sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. face — to point toward
  24. snap — to click

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