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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chest — a box
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. rash — hasty
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. chest — of your body
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. chair — a leader
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. squash — to crush
  14. squash — the sport
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. toast — bread
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. rash — a series

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