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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — a position
  5. cold — an illness
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. foot — a measure
  10. ground — crushed
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. can — to be able to
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. can — a tin
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. stem — to come from
  23. cold — not warm
  24. stem — of a plant

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