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: mark · deal · ground · calf · stick · chair · mug · squash

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  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. chair — a professorship
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — to rob
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. ground — crushed
  7. deal — to handle
  8. squash — the sport
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. squash — to crush
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. mug — a cup
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. ground — a position
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — a grade
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. ground — the earth
  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