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: rush · cell · bark · coach · toast · perch · chair · current

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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. rush — a thrill
  2. cell — a phone
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. current — happening now
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. toast — bread
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bark — to shout
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. current — of water
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. current — electric
  20. rush — hurry
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  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