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 120 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to confront
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — there
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. chair — a leader
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. face — to point toward
  13. field — for sport
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. deal — to handle
  19. field — a subject
  20. present — a gift
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. field — farmland
  24. chair — to sit on

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