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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. pitch — completely
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. rock — music
  6. swing — music
  7. chair — a leader
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. rock — a stone
  11. mark — a trace
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. swing — to play on
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. game — wild animals
  17. swing — in golf
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. game — a match
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a ring
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. mark — a grade

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