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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. chest — of your body
  3. rest — what's left
  4. chest — of your body
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. can — to be able to
  9. chest — a box
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. season — of the year
  13. cap — of ice
  14. season — in sport
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cap — a hat
  17. can — a tin
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a hint
  21. rest — a break
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cue — a signal
  24. rest — what's left

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