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: content · chair · march · hand · wake · bay · bowl · suit

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. suit — to fit
  4. march — the month
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. march — music
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. chair — a leader
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. content — the amount
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. march — the month
  17. suit — clothes
  18. content — happy
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. suit — in cards
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. hand — in cards

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