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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bound — certain
  5. bulb — for light
  6. kick — in football
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. key — in music
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. chest — a box
  13. key — for a lock
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bound — obliged
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bulb — for light
  24. safe — out of danger

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