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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mine — for digging
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. pit — a hole
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — in a race
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. stem — to come from
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. prune — to trim
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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