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: swing · chair · fall · safe · bear · root · capital · ball

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — a leader
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. swing — music
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bear — the animal
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ball — a dance
  11. fall — the season
  12. ball — a great time
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. swing — in golf
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. root — of a plant
  17. capital — money
  18. fall — to drop
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. root — the cause
  21. swing — to play on
  22. fall — to drop
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — a big letter

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