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

Word bank: cap · bound · key · face · march · leaves · current · rash

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bound — obliged
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. march — the month
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rash — hasty
  7. current — of water
  8. cap — a hat
  9. key — for a lock
  10. rash — a series
  11. key — in music
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to confront
  14. march — music
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. current — happening now
  17. cap — a lid
  18. march — the month
  19. bound — certain
  20. key — the most important part
  21. current — electric
  22. bound — tied together
  23. cap — of ice
  24. leaves — to go away

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