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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a leader
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bear — the animal
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. cap — a hat
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bear — the animal
  12. capital — money
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. mate — a friend
  16. cap — a lid
  17. capital — a city
  18. branch — a division
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. mate — to breed
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. branch — of a bank

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