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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. present — a gift
  3. club — for dancing
  4. present — there
  5. mate — to breed
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. chair — a leader
  8. mate — a friend
  9. present — the time now
  10. club — for golf
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cell — a phone
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. mate — a partner
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. rush — hurry
  21. lie — to recline
  22. club — a group
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. rush — to hurry

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