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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. wind — moving air
  3. chest — of your body
  4. net — for catching
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. fine — high quality
  7. object — an aim
  8. chest — a box
  9. pass — a permit
  10. can — a tin
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. bark — to shout
  14. object — to protest
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. wind — moving air
  17. net — after costs
  18. fine — all right
  19. can — a tin
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. net — in sport
  22. can — to be able to
  23. object — a thing
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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