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: pass · face · band · kid · rule · scale · bank · bear

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bear — the animal
  8. kid — child
  9. pass — a permit
  10. rule — a law
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bank — for money
  13. band — a music group
  14. kid — to tease
  15. face — to confront
  16. scale — in music
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. band — a ring
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. face — to point toward
  21. rule — government
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. rule — to rule out

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