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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. cell — a phone
  5. hand — help
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. chair — a leader
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. hand — in cards
  12. chest — of your body
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cell — in biology
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. chest — a box
  17. deal — to handle
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bulb — for light
  20. chest — of your body
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. ruler — a monarch

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