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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — a stick
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. pitch — completely
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. staff — employees
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. snap — to click
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. fine — all right
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. content — happy
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — a leader
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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