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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. roll — a cake
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. chest — of your body
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. hand — help
  14. roll — a list
  15. hand — in cards
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bear — the animal
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. chest — of your body
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bear — the animal

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