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: ground · ball · swing · patient · bat · cabinet · chair · firm

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. swing — in golf
  6. ground — a position
  7. firm — decided
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — the earth
  10. firm — steady
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. swing — music
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. chair — a leader
  21. ball — a great time
  22. firm — a company
  23. bat — the animal
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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