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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bore — to tire
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. last — finally
  6. mate — a partner
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. present — a gift
  9. last — to go on
  10. bore — to drill
  11. last — final
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — there
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — to play on
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mate — a friend
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. chair — a leader
  24. trunk — of a tree

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