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: bat · chair · cabinet · last · current · jam · ruler · pitch

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. last — to go on
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. current — of water
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bat — the animal
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. last — final
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. current — electric
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pitch — completely
  22. current — happening now
  23. last — finally
  24. ruler — for measuring

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