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: kick · chair · spring · face · mine · pass · wax · cabinet

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — of water
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. chair — a leader
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. face — to confront
  10. spring — a coil
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. wax — to grow
  13. face — part of the head
  14. pass — a permit
  15. mine — for digging
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. kick — in football
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. pass — to spend time

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