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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. snap — to click
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — to rob
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. chest — a box
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. chest — of your body
  13. charge — a price
  14. bark — to shout
  15. charge — in control
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. fall — to drop
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. mug — a cup
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — to go away

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