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 116 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: mate · stem · content · pass · court · bound · bear · chair

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bear — the animal
  3. content — the amount
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. court — of a king
  6. stem — to come from
  7. court — of law
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — happy
  10. bound — tied together
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. bound — certain
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. mate — to breed
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pass — a permit
  24. court — for sport

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