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: rest · face · march · cabinet · kid · toast · board · trunk

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. march — the month
  5. face — to point toward
  6. toast — bread
  7. face — to confront
  8. board — a committee
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. march — the month
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — child
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. rest — what's left
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. march — music
  20. face — part of the head
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. board — to get on
  23. kid — to tease
  24. trunk — of a car

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