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 116 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bound — obliged
  4. chair — a leader
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bound — tied together
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. press — to push
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. face — to confront
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bound — certain
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. press — newspapers
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. press — a publisher
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rush — hurry
  24. fall — the season

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