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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. chair — a leader
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. kid — child
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bulb — for light
  7. game — wild animals
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bulb — for light
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. game — a match
  22. kid — to tease
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rash — hasty

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