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 · dip · march · mark · patient · ground · face · bank

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. mark — a grade
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bank — for money
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. face — to confront
  9. dip — to sink
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. ground — the earth
  14. march — the month
  15. face — to point toward
  16. ground — crushed
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bank — for money
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. chair — a leader
  21. face — part of the head
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bank — of a river

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