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 · vault · game · cap · mate · cold · scale · hide

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. game — a match
  3. vault — a safe
  4. scale — in music
  5. cold — an illness
  6. mate — to breed
  7. cold — not warm
  8. scale — size or range
  9. face — to confront
  10. mate — a friend
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mate — a partner
  15. face — part of the head
  16. cap — of ice
  17. face — to point toward
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. cap — a lid
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. cap — a hat
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. game — wild animals

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