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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. chair — a leader
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rule — a law
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. rule — government
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. swing — in golf
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. swing — music
  23. wind — moving air
  24. rule — to rule out

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