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: chest · race · chair · kick · jam · current

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chest — a box
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. race — humankind
  8. current — of water
  9. race — the arms race
  10. current — electric
  11. kick — in football
  12. chest — of your body
  13. race — a contest
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chest — of your body
  17. current — happening now
  18. jam — a tight spot

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