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: firm · club · chair · ground · ball · cell

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. ground — crushed
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. firm — steady
  6. cell — in biology
  7. ball — a dance
  8. club — a group
  9. ground — a position
  10. club — for golf
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — a company
  13. ground — the earth
  14. cell — a phone
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. club — for dancing
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a great time

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