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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. staff — employees
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — of the year
  7. squash — the sport
  8. staff — employees
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cold — not warm
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. staff — a stick
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rush — hurry
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. cold — an illness
  22. season — in sport
  23. squash — to crush
  24. chair — a leader

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