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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. charge — a price
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. spell — letters
  5. lean — to bend
  6. spell — magic
  7. lean — thin
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — in control
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. face — to confront
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. content — the amount
  15. spell — a short time
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. mark — a grade
  18. face — part of the head
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. chair — a leader
  22. face — to point toward
  23. content — happy
  24. mark — to pay attention

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