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: toast · face · suit · branch · saw · cap · spring · game

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — a lid
  3. face — to confront
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. game — a match
  6. saw — the tool
  7. game — wild animals
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. suit — clothes
  10. face — to point toward
  11. suit — to fit
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. branch — a division
  14. face — part of the head
  15. spring — a coil
  16. suit — in cards
  17. toast — bread
  18. spring — of water
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. cap — of ice
  21. saw — the tool
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. spring — the season

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