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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. swing — in golf
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — crushed
  5. kid — to tease
  6. ground — a position
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a leader
  9. mug — a cup
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bark — to shout
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. pitch — completely
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. mug — a face
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — music
  20. kid — child
  21. kick — in football
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. mug — to rob
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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