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 · stand · hide · fine · field · arm · content · calf

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fine — all right
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. field — for sport
  9. content — the amount
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. stand — to bear
  13. content — happy
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. fine — high quality
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — farmland
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. chair — a leader

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