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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mate — to breed
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mate — a friend
  6. hand — help
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. swing — to play on
  9. staff — employees
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. swing — in golf
  13. staff — a stick
  14. chair — a leader
  15. hand — in cards
  16. swing — music
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. mate — a partner
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. chair — a professorship

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