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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. chair — a leader
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. band — a ring
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. stand — to bear
  8. rush — hurry
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. track — a song
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. band — a music group
  13. root — the cause
  14. plane — a tool
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. cell — in biology
  18. root — of a plant
  19. cell — a phone
  20. track — to keep track
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. root — of a word

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