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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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. kid — child
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. club — for dancing
  4. chair — a leader
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. drill — army training
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. foot — a measure
  9. kid — to tease
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. wake — a trail
  14. board — a committee
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. board — to get on
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. snap — to click
  19. club — for golf
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — a practice
  23. board — a flat piece
  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