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 120 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: bulb · hand · ruler · face · mine · track · wave · chair

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. track — a song
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. face — part of the head
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. face — to point toward
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — for digging
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. face — to confront
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. track — a path
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — help
  24. ruler — for measuring

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