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: chest · object · face · chair · chip · fine · saw · calf

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. face — to point toward
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a leader
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fine — all right
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. chest — of your body
  10. fine — high quality
  11. face — part of the head
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. object — a thing
  15. chip — for betting
  16. face — to confront
  17. chest — a box
  18. object — an aim
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. chest — of your body
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. object — to protest
  24. chip — in a computer

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