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 116 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bass — the fish
  3. hand — in cards
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. staff — employees
  12. cap — of ice
  13. staff — a stick
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bass — low music
  16. staff — employees
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. cap — a hat
  19. hand — help
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. chair — a leader
  23. cap — a lid
  24. can — to be able to

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