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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in biology
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rash — hasty
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. content — happy
  7. tube — a container
  8. sharp — clever
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. tube — the underground
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. rash — a series
  20. chair — a leader
  21. content — the amount
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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