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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: staff · stick · racket · tube · chair · race

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — the underground
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. race — humankind
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. race — the arms race
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. chair — a leader
  15. staff — employees
  16. race — a contest
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis

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