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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rest — a break
  3. bound — certain
  4. rock — music
  5. cap — of ice
  6. can — a tin
  7. cap — a hat
  8. rock — a stone
  9. can — to be able to
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bound — tied together
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. can — a tin
  17. bound — obliged
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. rest — what's left
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — to get on
  22. cap — a lid
  23. board — a committee
  24. chair — a leader

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