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 120 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: file · patient · coach · bulb · bass · arm · rule · chair

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rule — government
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bulb — for light
  10. file — a tool
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bass — low music
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bass — the fish
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a line of people
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. rule — a law

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