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: suit · capital · chair · bulb · degree · face · rush · bay

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  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. face — to point toward
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bulb — for light
  4. capital — a city
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — clothes
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. face — to confront
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. degree — temperature
  11. capital — money
  12. degree — an amount
  13. degree — from a university
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. chair — a leader
  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