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: face · board · degree · foot · cap · fall · staff · toast

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. degree — an amount
  3. cap — a hat
  4. fall — the season
  5. foot — a measure
  6. cap — of ice
  7. face — part of the head
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. staff — employees
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. cap — a lid
  12. toast — bread
  13. degree — from a university
  14. fall — to drop
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. fall — to drop
  19. degree — temperature
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. staff — a stick
  22. face — to confront
  23. board — a committee
  24. face — to point toward

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