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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. mate — a friend
  3. face — to point toward
  4. mate — a partner
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. face — part of the head
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. chair — a leader
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. stock — goods
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mine — for digging
  14. stock — shares
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mate — to breed
  18. stem — to come from
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. face — to confront
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. nail — on a finger

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