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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — a cup
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mug — to rob
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. stem — to come from
  18. club — a group
  19. fork — in a road
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. chair — a leader
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stem — a stem cell

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