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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. lean — thin
  3. present — the time now
  4. swing — in golf
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — music
  8. craft — a skill
  9. firm — a company
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. present — there
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. craft — boats
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. shower — rain
  19. firm — steady
  20. lean — to bend
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. shower — to wash
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. present — a gift

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