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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. tube — a container
  3. scale — in music
  4. chest — of your body
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. squash — the sport
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. squash — to crush
  12. pass — a permit
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a leader
  19. tube — the underground
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. chest — a box
  24. chest — of your body

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