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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. chair — a leader
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a friend
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. sharp — clever
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — a subject
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. pass — a permit
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. mark — a trace
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. sharp — exactly

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