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: rest · spring · chair · charge · pop · deal · rock · scale

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. deal — to handle
  3. pop — soda
  4. scale — size or range
  5. charge — in control
  6. rest — what's left
  7. chair — a leader
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pop — music
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. spring — the season
  13. rock — music
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. spring — of water
  16. charge — electricity
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. pop — to visit
  19. charge — a price
  20. spring — a coil
  21. rest — a break
  22. scale — in music
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rest — what's left

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