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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. clip — for paper
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. root — of a word
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. mark — a grade
  8. chair — a leader
  9. root — the cause
  10. scale — size or range
  11. clip — a video
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. clip — to cut
  14. root — of a plant
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. scale — in music
  17. pitch — completely
  18. cell — a phone
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. cell — in biology
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. mark — a trace

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