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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. chest — of your body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. tube — the underground
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bass — the fish
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bass — low music
  14. pit — in a race
  15. chest — a box
  16. bear — the animal
  17. tube — a container
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. pit — a hole
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bear — the animal
  24. vault — a safe

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