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: squash · suit · calf · trunk · patient · chair · degree · pitcher

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — in cards
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. degree — from a university
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. suit — clothes
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. squash — to crush
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. degree — temperature
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. squash — the sport
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chair — a leader
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. degree — an amount

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