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 116 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 · spring · chair · face · scale · cabinet · bear · kick

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bear — the animal
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. face — to point toward
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. chair — a leader
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. scale — in music
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — in football
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bear — the animal
  15. face — to confront
  16. cap — a hat
  17. spring — a coil
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. face — part of the head
  23. spring — of water
  24. cap — a lid

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