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: scale · foot · charge · cold · patient · staff · face · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. cold — an illness
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. face — part of the head
  10. cap — of ice
  11. charge — a price
  12. staff — a stick
  13. charge — in control
  14. face — to point toward
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. cap — a lid
  18. scale — in music
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. face — to confront
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cold — not warm
  23. charge — electricity
  24. foot — a measure

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