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: bowl · club · chair · stick · wave · rest

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. rest — a break
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rest — what's left
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. club — for golf
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. club — a group
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. chair — a leader
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wave — with your hand

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