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 120 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. game — a match
  3. face — part of the head
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bass — low music
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. face — to point toward
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. cue — a hint
  13. game — wild animals
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. cue — for pool
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. face — to confront
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bear — the animal
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bass — the fish
  23. cue — a signal
  24. chair — a leader

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