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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. file — a tool
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — low music
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bat — the animal
  16. file — a document
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. suit — clothes
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. fine — high quality
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. fine — all right
  24. suit — in cards

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