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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. stem — to come from
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. court — of law
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. swing — music
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. tube — the underground
  14. court — for sport
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. chair — a leader
  18. court — of a king
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — a container
  21. pound — a weight
  22. swing — to play on
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. swing — in golf

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