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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. present — the time now
  4. chair — a leader
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — a country
  8. land — ground
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — certain
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — a box
  16. bear — the animal
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. present — there
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. bound — obliged
  21. present — a gift
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stem — to come from

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