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: root · staff · march · scale · rash · bound · straw · chair

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bound — obliged
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bound — tied together
  5. rash — a series
  6. scale — size or range
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bound — certain
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. chair — a leader
  11. scale — in music
  12. staff — a stick
  13. root — of a plant
  14. staff — employees
  15. march — the month
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. march — music
  19. root — of a word
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. staff — employees
  22. root — the cause
  23. march — the month
  24. scale — for weighing

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