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 · chest · net · hide · bore · tube · nail · scale

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. net — for catching
  3. chest — a box
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. scale — size or range
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — a container
  13. scale — in music
  14. tube — the underground
  15. net — in sport
  16. bore — to drill
  17. chest — of your body
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. net — after costs
  21. chair — a leader
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bore — to tire

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