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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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. bound — tied together
  4. bound — certain
  5. club — for dancing
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. foot — a measure
  12. bound — obliged
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. degree — an amount
  17. chair — a leader
  18. club — for golf
  19. degree — temperature
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. hand — in cards
  22. degree — from a university
  23. hand — help
  24. club — a group

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