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 120 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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. can — to be able to
  3. chair — a leader
  4. lean — thin
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. squash — to crush
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — to wash
  12. hand — in cards
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. lean — to bend
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — help
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. squash — the sport

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