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: mouse · present · chair · object · chest · bass · ground · rock

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chest — of your body
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bass — the fish
  7. rock — music
  8. chest — of your body
  9. object — an aim
  10. present — the time now
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. ground — a position
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. object — a thing
  16. bass — low music
  17. present — a gift
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. ground — the earth
  20. rock — a stone
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. present — there
  23. object — to protest
  24. chest — a box

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