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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — ground
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. chair — a leader
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. rush — hurry
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — part of the head
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. land — to come down
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. toast — bread
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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