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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. cell — a phone
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. mate — to breed
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. cell — in biology
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. mate — a partner
  15. last — final
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. last — finally
  18. foot — a measure
  19. rash — hasty
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. last — to go on
  22. mate — a friend
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. arm — part of the body

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