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: kick · chest · wave · chip · staff · snap · saw · scale

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. chest — of your body
  4. saw — the tool
  5. scale — size or range
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. scale — in music
  15. chest — a box
  16. saw — the tool
  17. kick — in football
  18. staff — employees
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. snap — to click
  21. chip — for betting
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. chip — to eat

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