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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. tube — the underground
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. press — to push
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — newspapers
  9. wake — a trail
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bound — tied together
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bound — obliged
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. foot — a measure
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. tube — a container
  18. race — humankind
  19. craft — boats
  20. race — the arms race
  21. bound — certain
  22. race — a contest
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. foot — the bottom

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