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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. cap — a hat
  6. lean — thin
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bore — to tire
  14. cap — a lid
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — to bend
  17. staff — a stick
  18. cap — of ice
  19. staff — employees
  20. chest — a box
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bore — to drill
  24. staff — employees

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