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 120 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: chair · stick · race · ground · foot · cap · charge · spring

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — a measure
  3. ground — the earth
  4. chair — a leader
  5. ground — a position
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. charge — in control
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. race — the arms race
  11. cap — a lid
  12. ground — crushed
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — a contest
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. spring — the season
  20. spring — a coil
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cap — of ice
  23. spring — of water
  24. cap — a hat

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