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: craft · hide · march · mate · face · press · safe · chair

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. march — the month
  3. mate — a friend
  4. press — newspapers
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. press — a publisher
  8. craft — boats
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. face — part of the head
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. march — music
  13. mate — to breed
  14. face — to point toward
  15. mate — a partner
  16. craft — a skill
  17. press — to push
  18. face — to confront
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. march — the month
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. safe — a strongbox

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