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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. cap — a hat
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. tube — the underground
  7. rock — a stone
  8. scale — in music
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cap — of ice
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. perch — the fish
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rock — music
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — a container
  20. cap — a lid
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. chair — a leader

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