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: bat · saw · leaves · pop · cap · board · plane · face

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bat — the animal
  4. face — to confront
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. saw — the tool
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. board — to get on
  11. face — to point toward
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. pop — music
  15. cap — a hat
  16. face — part of the head
  17. pop — to visit
  18. saw — the tool
  19. plane — a tool
  20. cap — a lid
  21. board — a committee
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. cap — of ice

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