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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. charge — a price
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. net — after costs
  7. stem — to come from
  8. charge — electricity
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. march — music
  12. net — for catching
  13. fine — high quality
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. fine — all right
  16. net — in sport
  17. charge — in control
  18. march — the month
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. wake — a trail
  24. chair — a leader

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