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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. chair — a leader
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. charge — electricity
  8. pass — a permit
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bark — to shout
  15. plane — a tool
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. sharp — clever
  19. charge — in control
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — in sport
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. charge — a price

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