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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. net — for catching
  3. season — of the year
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. net — after costs
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. tear — to rip
  12. game — wild animals
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. game — a match
  16. tear — from crying
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. season — in sport
  20. net — in sport
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. chair — a leader

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