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 · rash · spring · lean · capital · toast · leaves · roll

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. face — part of the head
  5. spring — the season
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. roll — a cake
  8. capital — money
  9. rash — hasty
  10. toast — bread
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. spring — a coil
  13. lean — to bend
  14. face — to confront
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. roll — a list
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. face — to point toward
  21. rash — a series
  22. spring — of water
  23. lean — thin
  24. capital — a big letter

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