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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a friend
  7. club — a group
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. fine — high quality
  10. chair — a leader
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. club — for dancing
  13. mate — a partner
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. fine — all right
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. club — for golf
  22. rash — hasty
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. rash — a series

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