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: chair · clip · rest · charge · bore · perch · pit · fan

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. clip — to cut
  3. rest — a break
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. clip — a video
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bore — to tire
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. charge — electricity
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. charge — in control
  13. chair — a leader
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. pit — a hole
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bore — to drill
  18. clip — for paper
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. perch — the fish
  22. pit — in a race
  23. charge — a price
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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