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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. swing — music
  3. row — to paddle
  4. march — music
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. march — the month
  8. swing — to play on
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. root — of a word
  11. band — a ring
  12. root — the cause
  13. toast — bread
  14. root — of a plant
  15. spell — magic
  16. row — a line
  17. chair — a leader
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. spell — a short time
  20. march — the month
  21. band — a music group
  22. swing — in golf
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. row — a quarrel

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