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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. dip — to sink
  4. last — finally
  5. last — to go on
  6. clip — for paper
  7. drill — army training
  8. clip — a video
  9. bound — obliged
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. stand — to bear
  13. drill — the tool
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bound — certain
  17. last — final
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. chair — a leader
  20. clip — to cut
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. dip — to dunk

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