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: club · racket · chair · rest · object · ground · hide · ball

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ground — crushed
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. ground — the earth
  6. rest — a break
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — a thing
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. ground — a position
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for golf
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. ball — a great time
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. chair — a leader
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. club — for dancing
  24. ball — a dance

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