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: track · chair · content · swing · rule · arm · bank · wave

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. rule — government
  4. bank — of a river
  5. track — a song
  6. content — happy
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. content — the amount
  9. swing — to play on
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. track — to keep track
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — a law
  14. swing — in golf
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. track — a path
  18. chair — a leader
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bank — for money
  21. swing — music
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bank — for money
  24. wave — with your hand

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