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: suit · jam · staff · chair · land · bay · pitcher · squash

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — to come down
  3. staff — employees
  4. suit — in cards
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. squash — to crush
  8. staff — employees
  9. land — ground
  10. staff — a stick
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. suit — to fit
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — the sport
  24. suit — clothes

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