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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. cell — in biology
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. board — a committee
  6. saw — the tool
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. last — finally
  10. face — part of the head
  11. chair — a leader
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. saw — the tool
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. face — to point toward
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. face — to confront
  20. last — final
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. board — to get on
  23. cell — a phone
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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