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: mine · wave · charge · face · capital · bear · kick · chair

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. kick — in football
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. face — to confront
  8. charge — a price
  9. face — to point toward
  10. capital — a city
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. charge — electricity
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — a leader
  19. capital — money
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. face — part of the head
  24. charge — in control

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