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: rush · saw · straw · chest · hand · face · firm · prune

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  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. prune — to trim
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. chest — a box
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. face — part of the head
  6. saw — the tool
  7. firm — decided
  8. saw — the tool
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. firm — steady
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. face — to point toward
  14. rush — hurry
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. chest — of your body
  18. firm — a company
  19. hand — help
  20. face — to confront
  21. hand — in cards
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. prune — to trim
  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