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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. bore — to tire
  3. chair — a leader
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. present — a gift
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. present — the time now
  10. band — a music group
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bore — to drill
  13. chest — of your body
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. rash — a series
  16. chest — a box
  17. vault — a safe
  18. board — a committee
  19. band — a ring
  20. present — there
  21. rash — hasty
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — to get on

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