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 120 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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. swing — to play on
  4. firm — a company
  5. root — of a plant
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. swing — in golf
  8. firm — steady
  9. field — farmland
  10. file — a tool
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. chair — a leader
  13. firm — decided
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — the cause
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. file — a document
  18. field — for sport
  19. file — a line of people
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. swing — music
  24. field — a subject

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