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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bank — for money
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. chest — a box
  5. can — a tin
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. clip — to cut
  8. chest — of your body
  9. can — to be able to
  10. clip — a video
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. shower — rain
  13. row — a line
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. clip — for paper
  17. bank — for money
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. shower — to wash
  21. can — a tin
  22. bank — of a river
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. coach — a trainer

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