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: march · present · current · chair · wave · calf · bat · arm

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. current — of water
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. present — there
  9. present — the time now
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. march — the month
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. present — a gift
  14. current — happening now
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bat — the animal
  17. current — electric
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. march — the month

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