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: face · chip · cue · chair · shower · fall · temple · fine

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  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. temple — a place of worship
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. cue — for pool
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chair — a leader
  6. face — to point toward
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. cue — a signal
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. face — to confront
  12. shower — rain
  13. cue — a hint
  14. shower — to wash
  15. fine — all right
  16. face — part of the head
  17. fall — the season
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fall — to drop
  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