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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. fine — high quality
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. tear — from crying
  5. foot — a measure
  6. tear — to rip
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. prune — to trim
  12. face — to point toward
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. prune — to trim
  15. face — part of the head
  16. tear — from crying
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. present — a gift
  19. fine — all right
  20. present — the time now
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. face — to confront
  24. arm — part of the body

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