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 116 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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. pass — a permit
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. root — of a plant
  9. chair — a leader
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — the cause
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. cap — of ice
  15. capital — a city
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. swing — music
  18. cap — a hat
  19. swing — in golf
  20. cap — a lid
  21. swing — to play on
  22. capital — money
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. lie — to recline

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