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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. fall — to drop
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bass — low music
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. fall — to drop
  10. row — to paddle
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. row — a line
  13. chair — a leader
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. content — the amount
  16. spell — magic
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. content — happy
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bass — the fish
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bear — the animal
  23. spell — letters
  24. fall — the season

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