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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. foot — a measure
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — electricity
  8. rule — government
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a leader
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — a group
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. club — for golf
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. rule — a law
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. plane — a tool

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