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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. row — a line
  4. rest — a break
  5. foot — a measure
  6. content — happy
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. row — to paddle
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. content — the amount
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. suit — in cards
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — to fit
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — a hole
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cell — a phone
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. pit — in a race

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