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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. tear — to rip
  3. spring — the season
  4. chest — of your body
  5. spring — a coil
  6. ground — the earth
  7. rest — what's left
  8. tear — from crying
  9. rash — a series
  10. ground — crushed
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. chest — of your body
  13. ground — a position
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. rest — what's left
  16. tear — from crying
  17. chip — for betting
  18. spring — of water
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — hasty
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rest — a break
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — in a computer

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