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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. pass — a permit
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. stock — shares
  5. land — ground
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. stock — goods
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. content — the amount
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. land — to come down
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. content — happy
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. vault — a safe
  23. land — a country
  24. pass — to succeed

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