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 120 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 works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. band — a music group
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. saw — the tool
  5. firm — decided
  6. game — wild animals
  7. face — to point toward
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. mug — a face
  10. game — a match
  11. face — to confront
  12. mug — to rob
  13. band — a ring
  14. face — part of the head
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. saw — the tool
  19. firm — steady
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. mug — a cup
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. fan — a supporter

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