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: firm · chair · pitch · perch · leaves · squash · land · bark

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. bark — to shout
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pitch — completely
  6. firm — steady
  7. land — ground
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. squash — to crush
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. land — to come down
  18. chair — a leader
  19. firm — decided
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. land — a country
  23. squash — the sport
  24. firm — a company

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