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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fork — in a road
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. court — of law
  7. swing — to play on
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. court — for sport
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. season — of the year
  14. swing — in golf
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. rule — government
  17. swing — music
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. chair — a leader
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. court — of a king
  23. rule — a law
  24. chair — to sit on

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