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 120 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: hide · foot · row · present · swing · chair

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. swing — music
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. swing — to play on
  5. foot — a measure
  6. row — to paddle
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. swing — in golf
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — a gift
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. present — there
  17. row — a line
  18. foot — the bottom

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