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: land · fine · charge · face · ball · bound · prune · cap

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. face — to point toward
  3. cap — of ice
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. land — to come down
  7. ball — a dance
  8. prune — to trim
  9. charge — electricity
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. cap — a hat
  12. bound — tied together
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — all right
  15. face — to confront
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — obliged
  19. prune — to trim
  20. charge — in control
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. land — a country
  23. face — part of the head
  24. charge — a price

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