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: object · chest · saw · rush · tube · net · hand · straw

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. object — a thing
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. net — in sport
  5. object — an aim
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — the underground
  8. object — to protest
  9. net — for catching
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. hand — help
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. chest — of your body
  18. net — after costs
  19. chest — of your body
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. rush — hurry
  23. hand — in cards
  24. tube — in a tire

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