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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. current — happening now
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. rock — a stone
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. current — of water
  11. wake — a trail
  12. roll — a cake
  13. chair — a leader
  14. rock — music
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. press — a publisher
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. roll — a list
  21. current — electric
  22. foot — a measure
  23. press — to push
  24. press — newspapers

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