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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. pound — a weight
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. chest — of your body
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. ground — the earth
  10. deal — to handle
  11. ground — crushed
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. ground — a position
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. plane — a tool
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. chest — a box
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. chest — of your body
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. pound — to hit hard

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