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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. bound — obliged
  3. cap — a lid
  4. chest — of your body
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bound — certain
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. cap — of ice
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rock — music
  17. bound — tied together
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. chair — a leader
  20. rock — a stone
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. chest — a box
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. cap — a hat

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