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 120 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  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. chest — of your body
  2. season — in sport
  3. can — a tin
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. fine — high quality
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. fine — all right
  12. fall — to drop
  13. can — a tin
  14. track — a path
  15. prune — to trim
  16. track — to keep track
  17. season — of the year
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. can — to be able to
  21. track — a song
  22. chest — a box
  23. season — to add flavour
  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