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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. rock — a stone
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — clever
  5. rock — music
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. face — to point toward
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. firm — steady
  12. chair — a leader
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — a phone
  15. face — part of the head
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. track — to keep track
  18. firm — a company
  19. track — a song
  20. face — to confront
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. firm — decided
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. track — a path

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