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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. can — a tin
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. race — the arms race
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. chair — a leader
  12. can — a tin
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. swing — in golf
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. swing — music
  17. race — a contest
  18. staff — employees
  19. pit — a hole
  20. can — to be able to
  21. race — humankind
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. swing — to play on
  24. pit — in a race

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