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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. sharp — clever
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. chair — a leader
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. hand — help
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cap — a lid
  15. staff — a stick
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bulb — for light
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — employees
  23. cap — a hat
  24. calf — of the leg

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