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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. toast — bread
  4. content — the amount
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chest — of your body
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. pop — music
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. content — happy
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — to visit
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. chest — a box
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to sink
  19. vault — a safe
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. sharp — clever
  22. chest — of your body
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. sharp — exactly

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