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 120 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: lie · fork · safe · bat · chest · charge · chair · coach

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. chest — of your body
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bat — the animal
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. chair — a leader
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. charge — in control
  15. chest — of your body
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. chest — a box
  19. fork — in a road
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. charge — a price
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. lie — to recline
  24. coach — a trainer

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