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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chair — a leader
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. prune — to trim
  8. current — of water
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. current — happening now
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. ball — a great time
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wake — a trail
  16. current — electric
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. prune — to trim
  19. fine — high quality
  20. ball — a dance
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — in sport
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. ball — a round shape

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