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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. ball — a great time
  5. chair — a leader
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. game — a match
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — a line
  11. game — wild animals
  12. row — to paddle
  13. staff — employees
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. ball — a dance
  16. stem — to come from
  17. pop — to visit
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. staff — a stick
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. staff — employees
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. pop — soda

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