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 120 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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. suit — in cards
  3. wind — moving air
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — in music
  6. pit — a hole
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. scale — size or range
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. fine — high quality
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. tear — from crying
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. chair — a leader
  16. pit — in a race
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. wind — moving air
  19. suit — clothes
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. suit — to fit
  23. tear — to rip
  24. fine — all right

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