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: chair · dip · tube · key · straw · stand · scale · rest

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. scale — size or range
  4. rest — what's left
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. key — the most important part
  8. rest — a break
  9. tube — a container
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. stand — to bear
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. scale — in music
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. key — in music
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. rest — what's left
  19. key — for a lock
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. chair — a leader
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. straw — a straw man

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