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 · land · mouse · capital · patient · suit · leaves · current

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. suit — in cards
  3. face — to confront
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — to fit
  6. current — electric
  7. current — happening now
  8. face — part of the head
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. land — a country
  13. land — to come down
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. face — to point toward
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. capital — a city
  19. land — ground
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. current — of water
  24. capital — money

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