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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. chair — a leader
  4. spell — letters
  5. tear — from crying
  6. scale — size or range
  7. lie — to recline
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. tear — from crying
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. tear — to rip
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. scale — in music
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mug — a face
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. mug — to rob
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mark — a grade
  20. spell — magic
  21. mark — a trace
  22. spell — a short time
  23. mug — a cup
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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