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: key · bear · charge · can · toast · field · chair · march

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. can — a tin
  5. field — for sport
  6. march — music
  7. charge — electricity
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — in music
  10. bear — the animal
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. charge — in control
  13. chair — a leader
  14. charge — a price
  15. can — a tin
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. can — to be able to
  18. march — the month
  19. key — for a lock
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — farmland
  22. toast — bread
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. march — the month

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