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 120 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: bound · face · charge · chest · can · game · cold · ball

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. can — a tin
  3. bound — obliged
  4. ball — a great time
  5. chest — a box
  6. face — to point toward
  7. can — to be able to
  8. face — to confront
  9. charge — in control
  10. chest — of your body
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. cold — not warm
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. chest — of your body
  17. ball — a dance
  18. can — a tin
  19. charge — a price
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. cold — an illness
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — tied together
  24. charge — electricity

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