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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. scale — size or range
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. chair — a leader
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bear — the animal
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. cold — an illness
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. scale — in music
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bear — the animal
  22. plane — a tool
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. cold — not warm

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