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 120 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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. fine — all right
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. kick — in football
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. current — of water
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. current — electric
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. kid — child
  11. suit — to fit
  12. current — happening now
  13. mine — for digging
  14. chair — a leader
  15. game — a match
  16. game — wild animals
  17. suit — in cards
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. suit — clothes
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. fine — high quality
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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