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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. file — a tool
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. object — an aim
  5. saw — the tool
  6. chair — a leader
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — a thing
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. staff — a stick
  12. file — a document
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. staff — employees
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. staff — employees
  19. stand — to bear
  20. file — a line of people
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pound — a weight
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. pound — to hit hard

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