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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. current — of water
  4. game — a match
  5. game — wild animals
  6. chair — a leader
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stand — to bear
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. current — electric
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. pit — in a race
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. current — happening now
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. pit — a hole
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. wake — a trail

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