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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. object — a thing
  3. chair — a leader
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. chest — a box
  7. squash — to crush
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. last — final
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. track — a path
  12. track — to keep track
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. last — to go on
  16. squash — the sport
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. object — to protest
  19. last — finally
  20. track — a song
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. object — an aim
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chair — a professorship

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