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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. season — in sport
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — the time now
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. sharp — clever
  8. file — a line of people
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. season — of the year
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. file — a tool
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. file — a document
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. foot — a measure
  22. present — there
  23. chair — a leader
  24. foot — the bottom

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