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 · chest · wind · charge · stem · swing · rest · bound

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stem — to come from
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. bound — tied together
  7. charge — electricity
  8. wind — moving air
  9. charge — a price
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — music
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. chest — a box
  14. charge — in control
  15. wind — moving air
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. rest — a break
  18. swing — in golf
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. rest — what's left
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — obliged
  24. straw — dry grass

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