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: snap · firm · bound · tube · trunk · date · chair · coach

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. tube — a container
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bound — tied together
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. snap — to click
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — the fruit
  10. tube — the underground
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — decided
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bound — certain
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bound — obliged
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. chair — a leader

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