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 116 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. deal — to handle
  3. present — there
  4. vault — a safe
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the sport
  9. present — a gift
  10. wax — to grow
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. present — the time now
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. chair — a leader
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. rush — hurry
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — a thrill

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