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: club · dip · ruler · foot · last · rock · chair · fall

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. rock — a stone
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. last — to go on
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. fall — to drop
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. club — a group
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. fall — the season
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — for golf
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. chair — a leader
  16. rock — music
  17. dip — to sink
  18. foot — a measure
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. last — finally
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. fall — to drop
  24. last — final

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