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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bear — the animal
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. last — final
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rash — a series
  14. last — finally
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. cell — in biology
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rash — hasty
  19. cell — a phone
  20. last — to go on
  21. saw — the tool
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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