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: chair · stick · current · rest · racket · face · perch · pitcher

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. chair — a leader
  3. face — part of the head
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. perch — the fish
  7. current — electric
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. rest — what's left
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. face — to point toward
  19. rest — what's left
  20. current — of water
  21. face — to confront
  22. current — happening now
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rest — a break

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