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: stand · face · present · pitcher · club · leaves · bulb · scale

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. club — for golf
  4. stand — to bear
  5. present — there
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. club — a group
  9. face — part of the head
  10. present — the time now
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bulb — for light
  13. present — a gift
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. face — to point toward
  17. club — for dancing
  18. face — to confront
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. scale — in music
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — for weighing

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