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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. stock — shares
  5. chair — a leader
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. spring — of water
  8. squash — to crush
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. roll — a list
  12. squash — the sport
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. spring — the season
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stock — goods
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. roll — a cake
  24. spring — a coil

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