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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — in music
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. club — for golf
  7. chair — a leader
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. roll — a cake
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for dancing
  14. roll — a list
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. roll — on a roll

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