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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. chair — a leader
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. deal — to handle
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. rash — a series

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