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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a committee
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. face — to confront
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. face — part of the head
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. chair — a leader
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. row — to paddle
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. face — to point toward
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. row — a line
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  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