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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. cell — in biology
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. branch — a division
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. mug — a face
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. fine — high quality
  19. cell — a phone
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. fine — all right

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