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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. pass — a permit
  4. face — part of the head
  5. spell — a short time
  6. mug — a cup
  7. spell — magic
  8. mug — a face
  9. face — to confront
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. fine — all right
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. branch — a division
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. spell — letters
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. face — to point toward
  20. fine — high quality
  21. cold — not warm
  22. cold — an illness
  23. mug — to rob
  24. pass — to spend time

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