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 · bound · hide · fan · temple · swing · cap · rest

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. rest — what's left
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cap — a lid
  6. swing — in golf
  7. face — to point toward
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bound — obliged
  10. swing — music
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. face — to confront
  13. rest — a break
  14. cap — a hat
  15. rest — what's left
  16. face — part of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bound — tied together
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. bound — certain
  23. cap — of ice
  24. swing — to play on

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