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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. perch — the fish
  3. spring — the season
  4. chest — of your body
  5. wind — moving air
  6. spring — a coil
  7. chest — a box
  8. suit — to fit
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — in music
  11. suit — in cards
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wind — moving air
  19. spring — of water
  20. content — the amount
  21. key — the most important part
  22. suit — clothes
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. content — happy

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