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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. rest — a break
  6. march — music
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. ground — the earth
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. march — the month
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bark — to shout
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. rest — what's left
  18. stand — to bear
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. ground — a position
  21. march — the month
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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