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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — in music
  4. charge — electricity
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. kid — to tease
  7. object — a thing
  8. cell — a phone
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. charge — a price
  11. object — an aim
  12. charge — in control
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. drill — army training
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — the time now
  17. drill — a practice
  18. cell — in biology
  19. key — for a lock
  20. drill — the tool
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. kid — child
  23. object — to protest
  24. present — there

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