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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. track — a song
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — a skill
  6. foot — a measure
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. craft — boats
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. track — a path
  16. hand — help
  17. wake — a trail
  18. hand — in cards
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. track — to keep track

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