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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — a coil
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — child
  7. perch — the fish
  8. fine — high quality
  9. rock — music
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. spring — the season
  18. bank — for money
  19. rock — a stone
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. perch — for a bird

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