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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — for golf
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cap — a hat
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a match
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. cap — of ice
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. cap — a lid
  24. club — a group

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