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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. face — part of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. face — to point toward
  11. content — happy
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — an aim
  15. content — the amount
  16. band — a ring
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. pit — in a race
  20. face — to confront
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. band — a music group
  24. temple — side of the head

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