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 · cap · rash · foot · cold · plane · drill · coach

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. foot — a measure
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. face — to point toward
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. drill — the tool
  7. plane — a tool
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. face — to confront
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. cap — of ice
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. drill — a practice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. rash — a series
  18. cold — an illness
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. rash — hasty
  21. cap — a hat
  22. drill — army training
  23. cold — not warm
  24. face — part of the head

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