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: jam · file · ground · face · chair · kid · board · cap

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. ground — the earth
  3. board — a committee
  4. cap — of ice
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. cap — a lid
  7. face — to point toward
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. ground — crushed
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. chair — a leader
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. file — a tool
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. cap — a hat
  16. face — part of the head
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. face — to confront
  20. kid — child
  21. ground — a position
  22. file — a document
  23. board — to get on
  24. kid — to tease

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