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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: straw · wave · foot · temple · bay · bark · cell · season

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. season — of the year
  3. cell — in biology
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. season — in sport
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. foot — a measure
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bark — to shout
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. cell — a phone

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