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

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. present — a gift
  3. game — a match
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. present — there
  6. game — wild animals
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. face — to confront
  9. capital — money
  10. face — part of the head
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. chair — a leader
  13. face — to point toward
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. bear — the animal
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. present — the time now
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. capital — a city
  22. vault — a safe
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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