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: firm · wave · chair · hide · scale · bound · kid · rash

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bound — obliged
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. firm — a company
  6. bound — certain
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. firm — decided
  9. scale — in music
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. kid — child
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. kid — to tease
  16. rash — a series
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. scale — size or range
  21. bound — tied together
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. rash — hasty
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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