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: foot · hand · saw · bark · squash · wound · rest · chest

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. chest — of your body
  3. foot — a measure
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — help
  10. squash — the sport
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bark — to shout
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. saw — the tool
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. chest — a box
  22. rest — what's left
  23. squash — to crush
  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