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 · staff · bat · row · bulb · ruler · pound · bound

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — to paddle
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. pound — a weight
  6. staff — employees
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bound — obliged
  11. staff — a stick
  12. chair — a leader
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. row — a line
  18. staff — employees
  19. bound — certain
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bulb — for light

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