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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. rule — a law
  5. cold — an illness
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. board — to get on
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cold — not warm
  13. chip — to eat
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — to bear
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. chair — a leader
  19. board — a committee
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. chip — for betting
  23. rule — government
  24. patient — a sick person

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