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 116 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: suit · perch · firm · stem · court · chair · squash · rest

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. chair — a leader
  3. court — of a king
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. firm — a company
  8. firm — decided
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. rest — a break
  11. court — of law
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. suit — clothes
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the sport
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. court — for sport
  20. suit — in cards
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stem — to come from
  23. perch — the fish
  24. suit — to fit

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