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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. file — a line of people
  3. net — in sport
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. file — a document
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. cold — an illness
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. staff — a stick
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cold — not warm
  14. net — for catching
  15. staff — employees
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. file — a tool
  20. staff — employees
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. net — after costs
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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