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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. season — in sport
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. game — a match
  8. game — wild animals
  9. foot — a measure
  10. roll — a cake
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. chest — of your body
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. season — of the year
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. vault — a safe
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. chest — a box
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. chest — of your body

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