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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rash — a series
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bound — obliged
  5. cell — a phone
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. rest — a break
  9. rock — music
  10. chair — a leader
  11. rock — a stone
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bound — certain
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bound — tied together
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. court — of law
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of a king
  23. cell — in biology
  24. rest — what's left

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