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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. track — to keep track
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. chair — a leader
  9. row — a line
  10. track — a path
  11. mate — a partner
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mate — to breed
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. bore — to drill
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. track — a song
  22. bore — to tire
  23. row — to paddle
  24. mate — a friend

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