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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. mate — a partner
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. capital — a city
  9. face — to confront
  10. capital — money
  11. content — the amount
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a friend
  15. chair — a leader
  16. content — happy
  17. wind — moving air
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — part of the head
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — to rob
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. mug — a face

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