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: degree · chest · stand · rush · fine · racket · perch · last

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. perch — the fish
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. last — final
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. fine — all right
  9. rush — hurry
  10. fine — high quality
  11. last — finally
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. last — to go on
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. degree — from a university
  18. chest — a box
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. degree — temperature
  22. stand — to bear
  23. degree — an amount
  24. rush — to hurry

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