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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. rest — what's left
  3. chest — of your body
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bass — the fish
  10. chest — of your body
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. rest — a break
  16. hand — help
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bass — low music
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. hand — in cards
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. coach — a trainer

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