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 116 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: rush · cell · leaves · kick · sharp · clip · suit · chair

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  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. leaves — of a tree
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — a phone
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — in cards
  7. kick — in football
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. clip — for paper
  13. cell — in biology
  14. suit — to fit
  15. clip — to cut
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. rush — hurry
  18. sharp — clever
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. clip — a video
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. kick — with a 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