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 120 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: content · chair · root · sharp · bound · deal · swing · foot

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  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. sharp — clever
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bound — obliged
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. chair — a leader
  7. content — happy
  8. swing — in golf
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. root — of a plant
  11. swing — to play on
  12. content — the amount
  13. swing — music
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. root — of a word
  16. deal — to handle
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. root — the cause
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — certain
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — part of the body
  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