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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. clip — to cut
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. chair — a leader
  9. rock — a stone
  10. clip — a video
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. spring — the season
  15. cue — a hint
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. cue — for pool
  19. clip — for paper
  20. rock — music
  21. cue — a signal
  22. spring — a coil
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. spring — of water

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