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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  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. object — an aim
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. face — to confront
  4. pitch — completely
  5. squash — the sport
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. lean — to bend
  8. object — a thing
  9. face — part of the head
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. firm — steady
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. land — ground
  14. land — a country
  15. firm — a company
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. object — to protest
  18. face — to point toward
  19. squash — to crush
  20. land — to come down
  21. lean — thin
  22. firm — decided
  23. chair — a leader
  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