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: chair · rush · wake · march · fan · band · face · pass

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. face — to point toward
  8. march — music
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a ring
  16. chair — a leader
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. face — part of the head
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. march — the month
  23. face — to confront
  24. march — the month

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