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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. chair — a leader
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. dip — to sink
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. club — for dancing
  12. march — music
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. foot — a measure
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. march — the month
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. club — a group
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pitch — completely
  23. march — the month
  24. chair — to sit on

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