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

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. mate — to breed
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. band — a ring
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. mate — a partner
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — crushed
  14. mate — a friend
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. ground — the earth
  17. band — a music group
  18. trunk — of an elephant

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