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 · jam · shower · sharp · can · spring · firm

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. roll — a list
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. can — a tin
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. firm — a company
  8. chair — a leader
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. spring — the season
  12. firm — steady
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — rain
  16. spring — a coil
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. firm — decided
  22. roll — a cake
  23. sharp — clever
  24. spring — of water

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