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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — to fit
  3. chair — a leader
  4. present — there
  5. present — the time now
  6. firm — steady
  7. race — the arms race
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. suit — clothes
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. race — a contest
  13. wind — moving air
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. rock — a stone
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. land — ground
  19. land — a country
  20. race — humankind
  21. land — to come down
  22. present — a gift
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — decided

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