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

Word bank: trunk · date · charge · face · lean · chair · bulb · chest

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — a leader
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bulb — for light
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. lean — thin
  10. chest — of your body
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bulb — for light
  13. date — the fruit
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. charge — electricity
  16. chest — of your body
  17. face — to point toward
  18. chest — a box
  19. charge — a price
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. lean — to bend
  24. charge — in control

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