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: rest · hand · stand · straw · pit · bank · chest · wound

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. pit — in a race
  3. hand — in cards
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bank — of a river
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bank — for money
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. rest — a break
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bank — for money
  15. wound — an injury
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pit — a hole
  21. wound — an injury
  22. chest — a box
  23. hand — help
  24. chest — of your body

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