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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. land — ground
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. kick — in football
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. land — a country
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. chair — a leader
  12. land — to come down
  13. mug — to rob
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. tear — from crying
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — a face
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. tear — to rip
  24. sharp — clever

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