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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. spring — the season
  3. chair — a leader
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bulb — for light
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stand — to bear
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. rest — what's left
  11. scale — in music
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. spring — a coil
  15. rest — a break
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. spring — of water
  21. bulb — for light
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. scale — size or range

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