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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. chair — a leader
  3. firm — decided
  4. spring — a coil
  5. cap — a hat
  6. spring — of water
  7. cap — a lid
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. stand — to bear
  10. firm — steady
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. roll — a cake
  14. spring — the season
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. plane — a tool
  18. roll — a list
  19. firm — a company
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cap — of ice
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. stand — on your feet

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