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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. mug — a cup
  3. chest — of your body
  4. stand — to bear
  5. degree — an amount
  6. degree — from a university
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. roll — a cake
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bound — obliged
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. degree — temperature
  15. roll — a list
  16. mug — a face
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. chest — a box
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — tied together

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