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 120 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 · cue · scale · march · straw · rush · lie · cap

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. march — music
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. rush — hurry
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. march — the month
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — of ice
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. cue — for pool
  11. scale — size or range
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. cue — a signal
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cap — a hat
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. cue — a hint
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. march — the month
  20. chair — a leader
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. scale — in music
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. lie — to recline

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