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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. tear — from crying
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. stand — to bear
  6. snap — to click
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. chair — a leader
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — high quality
  14. swing — in golf
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. tear — from crying
  17. swing — music
  18. track — a path
  19. swing — to play on
  20. track — to keep track
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. tear — to rip
  24. track — a song

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