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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mug — to rob
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. face — to point toward
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. face — part of the head
  11. chair — a leader
  12. pit — in a race
  13. drill — the tool
  14. pass — a permit
  15. mug — a face
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. drill — a practice
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. pit — a hole
  23. drill — army training
  24. mug — a cup

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