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: dip · net · spring · cap · chair · shower · toast · firm

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. net — after costs
  6. dip — to sink
  7. cap — a lid
  8. firm — a company
  9. toast — bread
  10. cap — a hat
  11. firm — steady
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. shower — to wash
  15. net — in sport
  16. spring — of water
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. firm — decided
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. shower — rain
  22. cap — of ice
  23. spring — the season
  24. net — for catching

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