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: capital · net · face · wake · nail · plane · pitcher · calf

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. net — for catching
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. capital — a city
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. capital — money
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. face — to confront
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wake — a trail
  19. net — after costs
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. plane — a tool
  22. face — to point toward
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. net — in sport

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