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: bass · fall · scale · capital · foot · face · bowl · pit

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bass — low music
  4. fall — to drop
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. capital — a city
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. capital — money
  9. face — part of the head
  10. scale — in music
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. face — to confront
  18. pit — a hole
  19. scale — size or range
  20. fall — to drop
  21. face — to point toward
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. pit — in a race

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