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 · race · content · stick · pit · cabinet · staff · racket

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. pit — in a race
  3. chair — a leader
  4. pit — a hole
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. content — the amount
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. staff — a stick
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. race — the arms race
  16. content — happy
  17. staff — employees
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — humankind
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. staff — employees
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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