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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bank — for money
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. pop — to visit
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — to point toward
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bank — for money
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bank — of a river
  15. face — part of the head
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pop — soda
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. pop — music
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. rule — a law
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. rule — government

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