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 · chest · jam · firm · game · pit · mouse · drill

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. pit — a hole
  5. drill — a practice
  6. chest — a box
  7. chair — a leader
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. drill — the tool
  11. firm — decided
  12. chest — of your body
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. game — a match
  16. chest — of your body
  17. drill — army training
  18. firm — steady
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. firm — a company
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. pit — in a race
  24. game — wild animals

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