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 · season · ground · saw · suit · bank · clip · cap

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. suit — to fit
  3. clip — to cut
  4. ground — a position
  5. bank — for money
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. clip — for paper
  8. cap — a hat
  9. clip — a video
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bank — for money
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to point toward
  14. suit — in cards
  15. ground — crushed
  16. season — in sport
  17. face — to confront
  18. cap — a lid
  19. season — of the year
  20. ground — the earth
  21. cap — of ice
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bank — of a river

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