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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. kick — in football
  3. land — a country
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. rest — a break
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. degree — from a university
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. land — ground
  11. bound — obliged
  12. chair — a leader
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — a tool
  15. degree — temperature
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. rock — music
  18. bound — tied together
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. land — to come down
  21. rest — what's left
  22. degree — an amount
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bound — certain

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