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: face · shower · patient · bulb · clip · ruler · sharp · chair

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bulb — for light
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. face — part of the head
  6. clip — a video
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — clever
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. shower — to wash
  12. face — to point toward
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. bulb — for light
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. shower — rain
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. clip — for paper
  23. face — to confront
  24. chair — a leader

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