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 · cell · straw · bark · toast · calf · charge

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  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. can — a tin
  2. toast — bread
  3. cell — a phone
  4. can — a tin
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. charge — in control
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. cell — in biology
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bark — to shout
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. chest — a box
  16. charge — a price
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. chest — of your body
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. can — to be able to
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. chest — of your body
  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