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: object · firm · spring · hide · track · trunk · current · chair

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — of water
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. chair — a leader
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. current — of water
  10. object — a thing
  11. current — electric
  12. track — to keep track
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — a company
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. firm — steady
  18. track — a song
  19. current — happening now
  20. object — to protest
  21. track — a path
  22. object — an aim
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. spring — a coil

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