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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. file — a line of people
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. file — a document
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. file — a tool
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. chest — a box
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. toast — bread
  22. hand — help
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bark — to shout

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