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 · roll · object · charge · bark · pop · wave · staff

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — to shout
  5. chair — a leader
  6. staff — employees
  7. pop — soda
  8. charge — electricity
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. object — to protest
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — a price
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — a list
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. pop — music
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. staff — employees
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. pop — to visit
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — an aim

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