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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. club — a group
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. club — for dancing
  8. scale — in music
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — letters
  11. stock — shares
  12. toast — bread
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. scale — size or range
  16. club — for golf
  17. spell — a short time
  18. arm — a part of something

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