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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · pass · capital · toast · vault · season · face · shower

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. shower — to wash
  3. season — of the year
  4. face — part of the head
  5. toast — bread
  6. present — a gift
  7. capital — a city
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — to confront
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — a permit
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. present — there
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. capital — money
  20. vault — a safe
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. present — the time now
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. shower — rain

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