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 116 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. suit — clothes
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. rash — a series
  6. snap — to click
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. suit — in cards
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. suit — to fit
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. chair — a leader
  17. pitch — completely
  18. fork — in a road
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. band — a ring
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. band — a music group
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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