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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. face — part of the head
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. face — to confront
  5. current — happening now
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. face — to point toward
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pop — to visit
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. current — electric
  14. cap — a hat
  15. rash — a series
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. current — of water
  20. prune — to trim
  21. chair — a leader
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — soda
  24. rash — hasty

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