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: face · land · rule · capital · stand · perch · rock · wave

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — to confront
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rule — a law
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. face — part of the head
  9. perch — the fish
  10. capital — a city
  11. rock — music
  12. rule — government
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. land — to come down
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. stand — to bear
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. land — ground
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. capital — money
  24. rock — to move gently

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