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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. can — to be able to
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. cap — a hat
  6. scale — size or range
  7. field — for sport
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. ball — a great time
  10. can — a tin
  11. cap — of ice
  12. rest — a break
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. wake — a trail
  16. cap — a lid
  17. scale — in music
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. can — a tin
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — a subject
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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