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: rush · rule · chair · season · kid · mug · bound · bat

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bound — tied together
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. chair — a leader
  6. kid — to tease
  7. bat — the animal
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bound — certain
  10. season — in sport
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. season — of the year
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. rush — hurry
  15. mug — to rob
  16. rule — government
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. mug — a face
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. bound — obliged
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. mug — a cup

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