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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. charge — a price
  3. cap — a hat
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. wake — a trail
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. face — to point toward
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. charge — electricity
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. face — to confront
  13. lean — thin
  14. chair — a leader
  15. charge — in control
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for golf
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cap — of ice
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. face — part of the head
  24. cap — a lid

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