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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. rash — hasty
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. rash — a series
  6. bound — obliged
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bound — certain
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. fall — the season
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bark — to shout
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — to bear
  21. chest — of your body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. rash — on the skin

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