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 120 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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. pop — music
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. chair — a leader
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a document
  8. cap — of ice
  9. pop — to visit
  10. cap — a lid
  11. firm — decided
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. can — a tin
  14. cap — a hat
  15. content — the amount
  16. can — a tin
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. firm — a company
  22. content — happy
  23. pop — soda
  24. can — to be able to

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