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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. land — to come down
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. land — a country
  6. bear — the animal
  7. kid — to tease
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. kid — child
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. chest — a box
  20. wind — moving air
  21. pit — in a race
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pit — a hole
  24. land — ground

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