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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  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. rash — a series
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. current — happening now
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. current — electric
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. field — for sport
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. current — of water
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. lie — to recline
  19. chair — a leader
  20. fork — in a road
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. field — a subject
  23. field — farmland
  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