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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. fine — high quality
  3. capital — money
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cue — for pool
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. ball — a great time
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. capital — a city
  10. wax — to grow
  11. cue — a signal
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. fine — all right
  19. vault — a safe
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. ball — a dance
  22. cue — a hint
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. ball — a round shape

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