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: degree · kick · bound · chair · bay · coach · perch · hide

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bound — certain
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. degree — from a university
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. chair — a leader
  10. degree — temperature
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. perch — the fish
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bound — tied together
  16. kick — in football
  17. bound — obliged
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. degree — an amount
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. chair — a professorship

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