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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. club — a group
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. chair — a leader
  6. club — for dancing
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. track — a path
  9. march — music
  10. press — a publisher
  11. stem — to come from
  12. track — to keep track
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. club — for golf
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. march — the month
  18. track — a song
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — to push
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cabinet — ministers

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