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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. firm — steady
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. root — of a word
  8. march — music
  9. firm — decided
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. root — the cause
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. firm — a company
  16. root — of a plant
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. march — the month
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — a leader
  22. march — the month
  23. wake — a trail
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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