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: leaves · bear · saw · bass · cue · squash · roll · chair

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bass — low music
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. squash — the sport
  12. roll — a cake
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. cue — a hint
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. squash — to crush
  19. cue — a signal
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. saw — the tool
  24. roll — a list

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