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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. firm — a company
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. date — the fruit
  8. firm — steady
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. club — for dancing
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — in a road
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. chair — a leader
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — a group
  22. firm — decided
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. fork — a garden 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