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: pop · hand · hide · chest · suit · straw · pitch · toast

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. chest — of your body
  4. hand — in cards
  5. pop — to visit
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. chest — a box
  8. chest — of your body
  9. toast — bread
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. suit — clothes
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. suit — in cards
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. suit — to fit
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. pop — soda
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pop — music

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