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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. mate — a partner
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — a safe
  7. file — a document
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bulb — for light
  10. row — a line
  11. wax — to grow
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. file — a tool
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bulb — for light
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. file — a line of people
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — to paddle

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