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 120 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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. press — to push
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. chair — a leader
  6. press — newspapers
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. rest — a break
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — a safe
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a plant
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. press — a publisher
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. rest — what's left
  24. root — of a word

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