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: mate · chip · patient · firm · track · chair · perch · sharp

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. mate — a partner
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chip — to eat
  6. mate — to breed
  7. sharp — clever
  8. track — to keep track
  9. firm — a company
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. mate — a friend
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. firm — steady
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. perch — the fish
  19. firm — decided
  20. track — a path
  21. track — a song
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. patient — a sick person

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