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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. rash — a series
  5. club — for dancing
  6. foot — a measure
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — thin
  9. march — music
  10. bass — low music
  11. club — a group
  12. bass — the fish
  13. rash — hasty
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. march — the month
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. chair — a leader
  19. march — the month
  20. date — the fruit
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bass — the instrument

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