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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. march — the month
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rest — what's left
  5. chest — of your body
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. march — the month
  10. firm — steady
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. chest — a box
  14. lean — thin
  15. chest — of your body
  16. date — the fruit
  17. lean — to bend
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rest — a break
  20. firm — decided
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. firm — a company
  23. march — music
  24. hide — to keep secret

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