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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. last — finally
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mark — a trace
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. chair — a leader
  8. ball — a dance
  9. face — to confront
  10. last — to go on
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. ball — a great time
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. face — to point toward
  20. sharp — clever
  21. mine — for digging
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. last — final

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