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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. face — part of the head
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. face — to confront
  6. charge — a price
  7. march — the month
  8. shower — rain
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — of water
  11. chair — a leader
  12. face — to point toward
  13. stand — to bear
  14. charge — electricity
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. march — music
  17. shower — to wash
  18. lean — thin
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. lean — to bend
  21. charge — in control
  22. spring — the season
  23. march — the month
  24. chair — to sit on

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