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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. row — to paddle
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cap — a lid
  5. chest — a box
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a dance
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. row — a line
  10. present — a gift
  11. cap — a hat
  12. present — the time now
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. ball — a great time
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. scale — in music
  19. cap — of ice
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. present — there
  22. scale — size or range
  23. chest — of your body
  24. scale — for weighing

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