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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bound — certain
  4. root — the cause
  5. bound — tied together
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. track — a path
  8. club — for dancing
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. club — a group
  11. last — to go on
  12. club — for golf
  13. root — of a word
  14. track — a song
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. track — to keep track
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bound — obliged
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. last — final
  21. season — of the year
  22. chair — a leader
  23. season — in sport
  24. last — finally

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