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: cap · cue · pound · mine · march · capital · face · fine

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. capital — a city
  3. march — music
  4. capital — money
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. mine — for digging
  9. cue — for pool
  10. face — to point toward
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cap — of ice
  13. pound — a weight
  14. cue — a hint
  15. fine — high quality
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. cap — a hat
  19. face — to confront
  20. march — the month
  21. fine — all right
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. cap — a lid
  24. march — the month

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