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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. cap — a lid
  3. present — there
  4. band — a ring
  5. present — a gift
  6. key — the most important part
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. court — of a king
  11. shower — to wash
  12. cap — of ice
  13. shower — rain
  14. present — the time now
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. court — of law
  20. court — for sport
  21. cap — a hat
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. band — a music group
  24. key — in music

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