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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. chair — a leader
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. toast — bread
  5. capital — money
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. face — to confront
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bound — obliged
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in biology
  13. bound — tied together
  14. capital — a city
  15. bound — certain
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. face — to point toward
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — clever

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