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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  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. object — to protest
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. object — an aim
  4. chest — a box
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a song
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. track — a path
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — a company
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. object — a thing
  18. deal — to handle
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. firm — decided
  23. deal — an agreement
  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