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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. firm — decided
  3. kid — to tease
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. mark — a trace
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. rest — what's left
  8. firm — steady
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wind — moving air
  13. firm — a company
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. chest — of your body
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. wind — moving air
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. kid — child
  21. chest — of your body
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. mark — a grade
  24. jam — a tight spot

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