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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. chest — a box
  4. march — the month
  5. mate — a partner
  6. march — music
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. mate — a friend
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. saw — the tool
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. march — the month
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. wake — a trail
  19. mate — to breed
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. branch — a division
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. chest — of your body
  24. saw — the tool

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