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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. net — in sport
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. rest — what's left
  6. chair — a leader
  7. rest — what's left
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rule — government
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bound — certain
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rest — a break
  15. net — after costs
  16. can — a tin
  17. bound — obliged
  18. rule — a law
  19. craft — boats
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. can — a tin
  22. bound — tied together
  23. can — to be able to
  24. net — for catching

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