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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. tear — from crying
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. mark — a trace
  5. band — a music group
  6. chair — a leader
  7. tear — from crying
  8. band — a ring
  9. mark — a grade
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. scale — in music
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. tear — to rip
  17. scale — size or range
  18. tube — a container
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. tube — the underground

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