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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. spell — magic
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. content — the amount
  7. mug — a face
  8. bank — for money
  9. content — happy
  10. chest — of your body
  11. spell — a short time
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. spell — letters
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bank — of a river
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a cup
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bank — for money
  24. chest — of your body

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