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: cell · straw · march · date · chair · rule

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. march — the month
  3. cell — in biology
  4. date — the fruit
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. rule — government
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. chair — a leader
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. cell — a phone

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