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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: patient · fork · chest · safe · chair · fall

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chest — of your body
  5. fall — to drop
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fall — the season
  12. fork — in a road
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. chest — a box
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chair — a professorship

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