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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. scale — size or range
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. present — the time now
  6. board — a committee
  7. lie — to recline
  8. cell — in biology
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. present — a gift
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. present — there
  17. kid — to tease
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cell — a phone
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — a leader
  23. scale — in music
  24. board — to get 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