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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. face — part of the head
  5. degree — an amount
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. present — a gift
  8. degree — from a university
  9. face — to point toward
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chair — a leader
  12. present — there
  13. lean — to bend
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. degree — temperature
  16. lean — thin
  17. face — to confront
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitch — completely
  21. present — the time now
  22. lie — to recline
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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