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 · ruler · plane · net · arm · march · game · stick

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. game — wild animals
  3. net — in sport
  4. march — the month
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. net — for catching
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. game — a match
  11. march — the month
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. march — music
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. plane — a tool
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. net — after costs
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. chair — a leader

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