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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — clothes
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. fork — in a road
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. kid — child
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. lean — thin
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. hand — in cards
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. pound — a weight
  16. chair — a leader
  17. kid — to tease
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. rash — a series
  23. lean — to bend
  24. suit — to fit

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