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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. swing — to play on
  4. last — finally
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — to paddle
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. last — final
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. last — to go on
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. swing — music
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. row — a line
  22. bark — to shout
  23. swing — in golf
  24. hide — to keep secret

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