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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. bat — the animal
  3. snap — to click
  4. swing — in golf
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. chair — a leader
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. swing — music
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. swing — to play on

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