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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. march — the month
  3. last — to go on
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. march — the month
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. last — finally
  11. net — for catching
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. net — after costs
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. last — final
  17. net — in sport
  18. chair — a leader
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. march — music
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — goods
  24. foot — a measure

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