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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. court — of law
  4. present — there
  5. object — an aim
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. court — of a king
  8. present — a gift
  9. court — for sport
  10. object — a thing
  11. season — in sport
  12. drill — a practice
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. drill — the tool
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. object — to protest
  18. season — of the year
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. mine — for digging
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. drill — army training
  23. present — the time now
  24. chest — a box

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