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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. lean — to bend
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lean — thin
  14. season — of the year
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chair — a leader
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. season — in sport
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. fall — to drop
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. chip — for betting
  24. season — to add flavour

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