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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. cell — in biology
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — the animal
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. cell — a phone
  10. chair — a leader
  11. drill — the tool
  12. face — part of the head
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. drill — a practice
  15. face — to point toward
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. ball — a great time
  22. drill — army training
  23. face — to confront
  24. plane — a tool

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