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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. pit — in a race
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. club — for golf
  6. kick — in football
  7. court — of a king
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. club — for dancing
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. club — a group
  16. plane — a tool
  17. date — the fruit
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. court — of law
  20. pit — a hole
  21. foot — a measure
  22. court — for sport
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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