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

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. chair — a leader
  16. pit — a hole
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. craft — boats
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — in a race
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. calf — of the leg

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