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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. face — to confront
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. net — in sport
  6. chair — a leader
  7. mate — to breed
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. cap — a lid
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to point toward
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mate — a friend
  14. net — after costs
  15. cap — of ice
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. net — for catching
  19. pass — a permit
  20. mate — a partner
  21. cap — a hat
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. fan — a supporter

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