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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. object — to protest
  3. shower — rain
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. present — there
  6. stem — to come from
  7. mate — a friend
  8. chest — a box
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. present — the time now
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. object — a thing
  13. present — a gift
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. chest — of your body
  18. ball — a dance
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. object — an aim
  21. ball — a great time
  22. mate — a partner
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mate — to breed

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