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 · clip · lean · chest · chair · racket · deal · foot

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. clip — for paper
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chest — of your body
  7. can — a tin
  8. foot — a measure
  9. lean — to bend
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. chest — a box
  12. can — to be able to
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. clip — to cut
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. deal — to handle
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. lean — thin
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. clip — a video
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. can — a tin

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