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: charge · deal · chair · capital · hide · bat · mate · face

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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 — money
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. mate — to breed
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. mate — a partner
  9. face — to confront
  10. bat — the animal
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. face — to point toward
  16. charge — a price
  17. deal — to handle
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. mate — a friend
  21. capital — a city
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — to sit on

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