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: dip · chair · bound · spring · face · wave · fine · leaves

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — a coil
  4. dip — to sink
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bound — certain
  11. face — part of the head
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. face — to confront
  15. bound — tied together
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bound — obliged
  18. spring — the season
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. face — to point toward
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — with your hand

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