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: court · bank · last · spell · bear · ruler · chest · chair

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. chest — a box
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bank — for money
  6. chair — a leader
  7. last — finally
  8. bear — the animal
  9. court — of law
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bank — of a river
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bank — for money
  17. court — for sport
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. spell — letters
  20. last — final
  21. last — to go on
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. court — of a king
  24. spell — magic

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