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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · chair · staff · tear · face · march

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. face — to confront
  5. march — the month
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. march — music
  9. chair — a leader
  10. face — to point toward
  11. tear — from crying
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. march — the month
  15. tear — to rip
  16. face — part of the head
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees

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