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

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bore — to tire
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. sharp — clever
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bore — to drill
  17. date — the fruit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — a division
  23. tube — a container
  24. ruler — for measuring

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