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: trunk · bear · band · cell · chair · face · fan · pitcher

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. face — part of the head
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cell — in biology
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bear — the animal
  11. face — to confront
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. chair — a leader
  15. band — a ring
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. cell — a phone
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. face — to point toward

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