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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. vault — a safe
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. land — a country
  9. bass — the fish
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. chip — for betting
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. chair — a leader
  15. land — ground
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mark — a trace
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. bass — low music
  21. mark — a grade
  22. pass — a permit
  23. land — to come down
  24. lie — to recline

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