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: patient · file · bound · court · perch · staff · chair · face

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. file — a tool
  4. face — part of the head
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. court — for sport
  8. staff — employees
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bound — tied together
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bound — certain
  13. court — of a king
  14. staff — employees
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. bound — obliged
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. file — a document
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. face — to confront
  21. court — of law
  22. staff — a stick
  23. face — to point toward
  24. file — a line of people

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