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: wave · mark · bat · fan · chair · root · leaves · face

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. root — of a word
  5. face — to confront
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. chair — a leader
  8. root — the cause
  9. bat — the animal
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. face — to point toward
  13. mark — a grade
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. root — of a plant
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. chair — to sit on

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