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 116 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 · bowl · rush · clip · board · current · face · craft

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. face — part of the head
  3. capital — a city
  4. face — to point toward
  5. board — a committee
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. current — electric
  8. current — of water
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. current — happening now
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. face — to confront
  13. rush — hurry
  14. board — to get on
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. clip — for paper
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. craft — boats
  23. capital — money
  24. clip — a video

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