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: cell · chair · chest · mouse · present · lash

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. chest — of your body
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — there
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. present — the time now
  12. chest — a box
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. cell — a phone
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. chest — of your body

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