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: can · chest · fan · temple · file · lash · chip · straw

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. file — a document
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. chip — for betting
  8. can — a tin
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. can — to be able to
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. can — a tin
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. chip — to eat
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. file — a tool
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. file — a line of people

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