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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. chair — a leader
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. net — for catching
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. net — in sport
  14. board — a committee
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. kid — child
  18. board — to get on
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. net — after costs
  22. kid — to tease
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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