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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. cold — an illness
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. cold — not warm
  8. suit — in cards
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. suit — clothes
  12. net — after costs
  13. chip — to eat
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. net — for catching
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. net — in sport
  18. wake — a trail
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chip — for betting
  23. suit — to fit
  24. coach — a trainer

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