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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. staff — employees
  5. net — after costs
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. net — in sport
  8. chair — a leader
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. staff — employees
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. net — for catching
  15. object — an aim
  16. tube — the underground
  17. object — to protest
  18. mark — a trace
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. staff — a stick
  21. tube — a container
  22. wound — an injury
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. mark — a grade

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