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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. club — a group
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. race — a contest
  6. bore — to drill
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. race — the arms race
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. club — for golf
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. mine — for digging
  22. club — for dancing
  23. chair — a leader
  24. race — humankind

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