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 · rule · racket · season · stem · band · chair · sharp

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. band — a ring
  3. season — of the year
  4. chair — a leader
  5. firm — a company
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. rule — a law
  8. sharp — clever
  9. firm — decided
  10. band — a music group
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. stem — to come from
  17. rule — government
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. firm — steady
  24. sharp — with an edge

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