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 · pitcher · drill · chair · patient · fan · saw · board

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. face — to confront
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. drill — the tool
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. saw — the tool
  13. chair — a leader
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. board — to get on
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — part of the head
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. board — a committee
  20. drill — a practice
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. saw — the tool

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