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 · board · cap · jam · pitcher · perch · bear · face

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. cap — of ice
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. board — a committee
  6. face — to point toward
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. face — part of the head
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cap — a lid
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bear — the animal
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. scale — in music
  20. perch — the fish
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. board — to get on

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