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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. face — to point toward
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. game — a match
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. row — a line
  17. chair — a leader
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. game — wild animals
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. face — to confront
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. row — to paddle

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