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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. capital — a city
  5. present — the time now
  6. stock — shares
  7. capital — money
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. race — a contest
  14. present — a gift
  15. firm — steady
  16. stock — goods
  17. firm — decided
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. present — there
  21. race — humankind
  22. chair — a leader
  23. race — the arms race
  24. firm — a company

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