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 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. last — finally
  3. bear — the animal
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. foot — a measure
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bear — the animal
  13. chair — a leader
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. last — final
  21. bass — the fish
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. last — to go on
  24. bass — low music

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