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: spell · pitcher · trunk · mark · face · shower · chair · arm

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. face — part of the head
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. face — to confront
  10. spell — a short time
  11. chair — a leader
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mark — a trace
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — rain
  18. mark — a grade
  19. spell — magic
  20. face — to point toward
  21. spell — letters
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. arm — part of the body

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