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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. bulb — for light
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chest — of your body
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. content — the amount
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. chest — of your body
  13. fork — in a road
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. chest — a box
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bulb — for light
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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