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: kick · sharp · temple · straw · rest · hand · bear · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — to protest
  3. rest — what's left
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. rest — what's left
  9. hand — help
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. object — a thing
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rest — a break
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bear — the animal
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bear — to put up with

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