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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bank — for money
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. chair — a leader
  6. rush — hurry
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — in cards
  9. rest — a break
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. shower — rain
  12. rest — what's left
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bank — of a river
  18. content — the amount
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bank — for money
  21. content — happy
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. foot — a measure
  24. chair — to sit on

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