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: chair · sharp · deal · toast · fall · root · swing · rock

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. toast — bread
  5. rock — a stone
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. swing — to play on
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. swing — in golf
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. swing — music
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. root — of a plant
  17. chair — a leader
  18. rock — music
  19. root — the cause
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. sharp — clever
  24. root — of a word

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