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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. rock — a stone
  5. suit — clothes
  6. present — a gift
  7. suit — to fit
  8. clip — to cut
  9. present — the time now
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wind — moving air
  14. suit — in cards
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — a leader
  19. clip — for paper
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. clip — a video
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. rock — music

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