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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. drill — army training
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. ground — a position
  8. can — to be able to
  9. drill — the tool
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. ground — crushed
  12. foot — a measure
  13. ground — the earth
  14. can — a tin
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. rush — hurry
  17. drill — a practice
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. date — the fruit
  23. can — a tin
  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