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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. chair — a leader
  4. drill — a practice
  5. rest — a break
  6. drill — army training
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. drill — the tool
  10. season — of the year
  11. board — to get on
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. mug — a face
  14. board — a committee
  15. mug — a cup
  16. toast — bread
  17. mug — to rob
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. season — in sport
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. date — the fruit
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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