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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. clip — to cut
  4. spell — a short time
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. board — to get on
  8. bear — the animal
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. spell — letters
  13. kick — in football
  14. spell — magic
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. clip — for paper
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bear — the animal
  21. board — a committee
  22. clip — a video
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. kick — a thrill

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