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: squash · band · chair · rush · pitch · bore · jam · foot

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. chair — a leader
  4. foot — a measure
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bore — to tire
  8. band — a music group
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bore — to drill
  11. squash — to crush
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. band — a ring
  15. squash — the sport
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. rush — hurry
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. pitch — completely
  24. chair — a professorship

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