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 took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. pit — in a race
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. chest — of your body
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. fine — high quality
  10. ground — the earth
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — help
  13. chest — of your body
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. fine — all right
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. pit — a hole
  19. ground — crushed
  20. chest — a box
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. ground — a position
  24. cabinet — ministers

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