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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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. court — of law
  4. race — the arms race
  5. chest — of your body
  6. court — of a king
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chest — a box
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — hasty
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. court — for sport
  16. race — humankind
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. race — a contest
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. chest — of your body
  21. deal — to handle
  22. rash — a series
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. deal — an agreement

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