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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bound — tied together
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mug — to rob
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. ground — crushed
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bound — certain
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. ground — a position
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mug — a cup
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. mug — a face
  19. snap — to click
  20. bound — obliged
  21. chest — of your body
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. ground — the earth
  24. squash — to crush

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