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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. charge — electricity
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bound — certain
  5. root — of a plant
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — to point toward
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pass — a permit
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — a price
  13. bound — obliged
  14. face — part of the head
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. root — of a word
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — in sport
  20. bound — tied together
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. root — the cause
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. cell — in biology

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