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: staff · wave · clip · pitcher · current · bore · stand · chair

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. current — happening now
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — to bear
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bore — to tire
  11. staff — employees
  12. clip — to cut
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. clip — a video
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. chair — a leader
  18. staff — a stick
  19. current — electric
  20. bore — to drill
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. staff — employees
  24. pitcher — a jug

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