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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bulb — for light
  4. chair — a leader
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. tube — the underground
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. scale — in music
  9. tube — a container
  10. bat — the animal
  11. rock — a stone
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. scale — size or range
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. branch — a division
  24. rock — 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