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 120 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. chair — a leader
  3. scale — size or range
  4. can — a tin
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. scale — in music
  11. object — to protest
  12. snap — to click
  13. lie — to recline
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. band — a music group
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — of water
  20. band — a ring
  21. can — a tin
  22. object — a thing
  23. can — to be able to
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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