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

Word bank: bound · stem · chair · straw · drill · wind · stick · chest

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. wind — moving air
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bound — tied together
  12. chair — a leader
  13. bound — certain
  14. drill — the tool
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. chest — of your body
  17. drill — a practice
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. drill — army training
  20. bound — obliged
  21. stem — to come from
  22. chest — of your body
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. chair — a professorship

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