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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. chest — a box
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. firm — steady
  6. current — of water
  7. staff — employees
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. board — to get on
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. prune — to trim
  14. current — happening now
  15. chair — a leader
  16. firm — a company
  17. chest — of your body
  18. current — electric
  19. board — a committee
  20. bat — the animal
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. board — a flat piece

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