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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. fine — all right
  3. mug — a face
  4. band — a ring
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. pop — music
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. board — a committee
  10. pop — soda
  11. mug — a cup
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — high quality
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. band — a music group
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mug — to rob
  18. pop — to visit
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. chair — a leader
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — to get on
  24. deal — to handle

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