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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cell — in biology
  5. rest — a break
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. cell — a phone
  8. pitch — completely
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. hand — help
  17. chest — of your body
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rest — what's left
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rest — what's left
  22. chest — a box
  23. hand — in cards
  24. ruler — a monarch

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