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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. chest — a box
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. lean — thin
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. chest — of your body
  12. wind — moving air
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. cue — for pool
  15. perch — the fish
  16. chest — of your body
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. cue — a hint
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. lean — to bend
  24. wind — moving air

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