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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bass — low music
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. fork — in a road
  7. date — the fruit
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bass — the fish
  12. saw — the tool
  13. chair — a leader
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. face — to point toward
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. face — part of the head
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. chair — a professorship

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