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: face · cell · scale · key · mouse · branch · board · spell

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. spell — magic
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — in music
  5. spell — a short time
  6. scale — in music
  7. branch — a division
  8. board — a committee
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. spell — letters
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to point toward
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. board — to get on
  17. cell — in biology
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. scale — size or range
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. key — for a lock
  24. cell — a phone

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