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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. track — a path
  3. chair — a leader
  4. face — to point toward
  5. court — of a king
  6. face — part of the head
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. track — to keep track
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. kick — in football
  13. track — a song
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. court — for sport
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. face — to confront
  23. court — of law
  24. fine — high quality

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