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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. chair — a leader
  3. spring — a coil
  4. can — a tin
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. spring — of water
  10. charge — a price
  11. can — to be able to
  12. spring — the season
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — to shout
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. charge — in control
  21. can — a tin
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. chair — a professorship

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